AGROW’S TOP 20
No change
The big six retained their respectiv
agr
2
e
at the top
positions on Agrow’s Top 20 of ochemical
companies in 2006, reports Nessa Keogh
0
(MRLs) on the Japanese market. Ishihara Sangyo
Kaisha posted a 3.2% sales increase in yen, but
its dollar-based sales were down by 2.4%. Export
sales increased and domestic sales remained the
same despite the downturn on the home market.
Nippon Soda also saw improved exports but
these could not offset a decline in domestic sales.
Staying at the top
Agrochemical sales at Bayer amounted to
€5,358 million (US$6,698) in 2006, representing
94% of the CropScience division’s turnover
and reflecting its strong presence in all key
geographical markets. Factors giving Bayer the
edge over its peers in 2006 included its leading
position in insecticides and seed treatments.
T
hough the gap between the top two was achieved on the back of a 36% increase The company was the second largest supplier of
agrochemical companies narrowed in in sales in the year to March 2007, which in fungicides and held third place in the herbicides/
2006, Bayer CropScience managed to turn reflected a series of product and company PGRs markets.
hold on to its dominant position over acquisitions it made in the period of 2005-2006.
Syngenta. This came despite a fall of 3.8% in Bayer’s two best selling products in 2006
Bayer’s agrochemical sales in 2006, according Sumitomo Chemical retained its 8th placing after were the insecticide imidacloprid and the
to the recently published ‘Agrow’s Top 20: 2007 MAI. Higher sales of herbicides saw Sumitomo’s fungicide tebuconazole, which accrued sales of
Edition’, which covers those companies operating exports in yen terms rise by 17.5% in the period €564 million and €276 million, respectively.
in the global agrochemical and agricultural to March 2007, though domestic sales declined. Indeed, imidacloprid is the world’s best selling
biotechnology markets (see Table 1). Overall Sumitomo had an increase in revenues for insecticide. With one of the highest R&D
the year of 7.3% in yen terms. budgets for conventional agrochemicals, Bayer
In third place in the ranking, following Bayer and CropScience has launched 17 ais onto the market
Syngenta, was BASF, then Dow AgroSciences, It was followed by Nufarm and Arysta LifeScience. since 2000 and these ais accounted for 21% of
Monsanto and Dupont. Dow and Monsanto closed Interestingly, both of these companies are now the company’s sales in 2006 compared with 12%
the gap on BASF, as their sales rose by 1% and subject to takeover bids. Ironically, acquisitions in 2004.
9%, respectively, and BASF’s sales dropped by had helped boost their sales in 2006. Nufarm
6.6%. saw its Canadian sales rise by almost 50% as a Syngenta recorded US$6,378 million in
result of its purchase of the herbicide, Assert, agrochemical sales in 2006, with the NAFTA
MAI, whose overall agrochemical sales were from BASF, while there was a ten-fold increase in region accounting for 33% of these alone.
up by 2.5% in 2006, led the rest of the group, its sales in Columbia following the acquisition of Agrochemicals represented 79% of total
acquiring majority stakes in the US company, local firm, Agrogen. Arysta, meanwhile, acquired company turnover. Herbicides, the majority of
Alligare, and the Italian firm, Kollant, which are BASF’s US off-patent pesticide business, Micro Flo, which are selective, are Syngenta’s main product
both active in the non-crop sector. The Alligare which contributed to a 3.9% rise in the Japanese category, accounting for 40% of sales. Fungicides
deal resulted in an increase in sales in North company’s sales in dollar terms and 9.7% rise in account for 27% of sales, and azoxystrobin is the
America of 13% but the Kollant purchase did yen terms. leading global proprietary product.
not offset a difficult business climate in Europe,
where MAI’s sales fell by about 2%. The bottom half of the table was dominated Notching up agrochemical sales of €3,079 in
by Japanese companies, some of which did 2006, BASF remains the third largest player in
The most striking performance, however, among better on export markets than on the home the business, though these sales account for only
the second-tier companies in the table was that front. Many of these companies attributed their 5.9% of total company turnover. Cost cutting and
of United Phosphorus, which moved from 18th poor performance on the domestic market to streamlining its portfolio dramatically improved
place in 2005 to 13th position in 2006. Its rise the effects of stricter maximum residue levels profitability between 2001 and 2005.
0 December 2007  •  www.agrow.com
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