Brazil: Why did pesticide registrations decrease in 2023

Guest Author: Flávio Hirata, agronomist and an expert in pesticide registration, and partner at AllierBrasil (flavio.hirata@uol.com.br)

29 January 2024, Brazil: In 2023, 555 pesticide registrations were approved, which was a 15% drop when compared to 2022, after seven continuous years of record-breaking approvals. Even so, the number of approvals was the 3^rd highest ever recorded.

Pesticide Registrations Approved in the Last 10 Years (2014-2023)

A few companies concentrate a large share of pesticide registration approvals. In 2023, ten companies were responsible for approving 40.72% of the total. Highlight for Nortox (100% Brazilian); AllierBrasil (Brazilian consultancy company); and Rainbow (Chinese company), which together have 103 approvals (18.56%).

10 Companies Approved 40.72% of Pesticide Registrations in 2023

Considering that pesticide registration is a very bureaucratic and long process, involving three ministries, registration consultancy firms play a very important role. These consultancies, which mostly represent foreign companies, were responsible for 16.39% of approvals. Highlight for AllierBrasil, which approved almost 40% of registrations held by consulting companies.

Consulting Companies Approved 16.39% (91) of Registrations in 2023

Although the revenues of consultancy firms are considered modest, they are targets for acquisition by foreign consultancy firms. This created a new market, involving the opening up of companies to sell them, similar to what happens in the pesticide distributor and dealer market and the biological products market. Furthermore, considering that the pesticide registration process requires experience and a lot of technical preparation, serious errors have been observed. This results in a much longer time for customs clearance, because inspections identify mistakes that come from the inadequate completion of product information/descriptions in the initial registration process, causing losses throughout the distribution chain.

Registration of formulated products is the main objective of distributors because it is the formulated product that goes to the final consumer, which is the farmer. In 2023, excluding biological and atypical products, 275 registrations of chemical formulated products were approved. Of the total, 137 were registered by 10 companies, which once again shows the concentration of approvals. Highlights include AllierBrasil, Nortox, Rainbow, and UPL, which together have 78 approvals or 28.36% of the total.

Registration of Chemical Formulated Products

Concerning the registrations of Equivalent Technical Products, the 10 most approved active ingredients in 2023 reached 107 products out of a total of 179 and represented 59.77% of approvals. Prothioconazole (17.88%) and Metribuzin (6.70%) were the most approved active ingredients. The number of prothioconazole registrations more than doubled when compared to 2022, going from 29 to 61, while metribuzin registrations went from 16 to 28. The biggest highlight, however, is Ethephon, which increased from 2 registrations to 11.

Active Ingredients of Equivalent Technical Products Approved in 2023

Active ingredient	Number of registrations * approved in 2023	Total number of approved registrations
Prothioconazole	32	61
Metribuzin	12	28
2,4-D	10	70
Ethephon	9	11
Isoxaflutole	9	21
Fluazinam	7	24
Thiamethoxam	7	34
Boscalid	6	15
Pyraclostrobin	6	19
Clethodim	5	31
Others	76	2,117
Total	179	2,431

The approval of a pesticide registration is not just the result of submitting a request. There are several steps until approval. Briefly, the first is the definition of the product and manufacturer. Next, a laboratory is chosen – one of the most critical steps – to perform GLP studies, field efficacy, and residue studies, depending on the type of registration; elaboration of the dossier; submission of the process itself; updating the dossier in accordance with the new regulations that come into force during the long waiting period for the evaluation; and continuous and detailed monitoring of the progress of the registration process. All of this is very expensive.

Considering the large number of foreign companies interested in registering products in Brazil, it is very important to show new players the rules and steps of the registration process, which differ greatly from country to country. Furthermore, what works abroad will not always work in Brazil.

Also Read: Roquette Isosorbide Achieves ISCC PLUS Certification

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