GENERICS
Agriculture banned the use of the insecticides
Table 2: Number of generics producers in 2005 and 2007
methamidophos, monocrotophos, parathion-
Active ingredient Category No. of producers No. of producers
ethyl, parathion-methyl and phosphamidon
– 2005 – 2007
from 1 January 2007. In addition, the Ministry’s
Imazethapyr Herbicide 7 11
Institute for the Control of Agrochemicals (ICAMA)
Propiconazole Fungicide 11 23
is reviewing 379 pesticide ais that received a
provisional registration before 23 July 1999, which
Tebuconazole Fungicide 5 23
includes a large number of generic pesticide
Abamectin Insecticide 7 23
ais. The ICAMA plans to complete this review
Acetamiprid Insecticide 9 23
programme by the end of 2008, but has already
Bifenthrin Insecticide 7 12
started to phase out registrations for older
Imidacloprid Insecticide 20 40
pesticide ais such as the insecticides phorate,
Note: Number of producers taken from the 2005 and 2007 editions of carbofuran, aldicarb and methomyl.
Agrow’s Complete Guide to Generic Pesticides.
In India, the Ministry of Agriculture has proposed
shown in June 2004, when Syngenta launched a programmes. This has always been the case in restricting the use of 31 pesticide ais, all of which
lawsuit against two Chinese companies, Yancheng Europe and the US, where regulatory authorities were sold in India before 1971 when the current
Lvye Chemical Co and its subsidiary Yancheng have been conducting such programmes for a Insecticides Act came into force, and to cancel the
Yongli Chemical Co, for illegally producing and number of years and where registrations have registrations for seven ais, including the herbicide
selling thiamethoxam. Meanwhile, both Syngenta subsequently been withdrawn for a number of simazine. It has also initiated a review of the
and BASF have laun
A
ched
GR
injunctions a
O
gainst
W’s
older ais (especially in the EU). toxicity, persistence, safety in use and availability
Chinese producers offering thiamethoxam and of alternatives for 37 ais, all of which have been
kresoxim-methyl, respectively, during recent But now similar programmes are being restricted in other countries.
British Crop Protec
Ne
tion Council e
w
xhibitions.
Generics:
introduced in developing world
2007
countries,
especially India and China, and these are also These review programmes form part of efforts
The fact that these new ais are still patent- leading to the withdrawal of certain older, more by the Indian and Chinese governments to
protected in most markets, together with the toxic ais. For example, the Chinese Ministry of move their growers away from older, more
need to develop the appropriate manufacturing toxic ais, such as organophosphorus insecticides,
technology, explains why, despite their large towards newer, safer ais, such as pyrethroid and
sales, these new ais are not yet manufactured neonicotinoid insecticides. These efforts could
by that many generics companies. For example, have a major impact on generics producers in
kresoxim-methyl is currently manufactured by these countries, especially the smaller ones that
five of the companies profiled in Volume 2, while tend to concentrate on producing older ais. These
thiamethoxam is manufactured by six. Compare companies will have to update their product
this with the older insecticide ai cypermethrin, portfolios, or face going out of business or being
which also has annual sales of around US$400 swallowed up by larger competitors. Already
million but is manufactured by over 30 companies. there are signs that these review programmes are
beginning to stimulate the consolidation of the
Furthermore, a number of the ais that were Chinese and Indian generic pesticide industries.
fairly new generic ais in 2005, and were still
patent-protected in many markets, are now This then suggests an interesting near future
manufactured by many more companies. For for the generic pesticide sector. More and more
example, the insecticide imidacloprid has been developing world companies are becoming major
the second largest selling pesticide ai in the players, at the same time that developing world
world for a number of years, but in the 2005 markets are becoming increasingly important.
edition it was only the sixth most manufactured As such, over the next few years, the generic
pesticide (with 20 generics manufacturers). pesticide industry as a whole will probably
In the 2007 edition, however, the number of
More and more developing
start to shift its emphasis towards developing
generic imidacloprid manufacturers had doubled world markets and the kind of products they
world companies are
to 40. Other ais that are now produced by many demand. Ironically, however, with the ongoing
more generic companies include the insecticide
becoming major players, at
modernisation of these developing world pesticide
abamectin and the fungicide tebuconazole (see
the same time that developing
markets, they could soon end up looking
Table 2).
world markets are becoming
very similar to developed world markets.
Pesticide review programmes
increasingly important.
Jon Evans is a science writer and contributing
Another factor that is increasingly affecting editor to Agrow Magazine. He was also one of the
the popularity of particular ais, both with contributors to Agrow’s Complete Guide to Generic
manufacturers and growers, is pesticide review Pesticides 2007.
www.agrow.com  •   January 2008 2
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40