The agrochemical industry requires healthy, stable, and sustainable development.

[Lead – China Pesticide & Fertilizer Network] The industry must pay close attention to the safety of neonicotinoid pesticides for honeybees, the toxicity of strobilurin‑type fungicides to aquatic organisms such as fish and shrimp, the toxicity of diamide insecticides to aquatic crustaceans like water lice, and the safety of sulfonylurea herbicides. China’s capacity for independent research and development is steadily strengthening, and we should redouble our efforts along this path to transition as soon as possible from a major pesticide‑producing country to a leading one.

 

　　On May 27, the third session of the ninth council of the China Pesticide Industry Association was held in Xiamen, Fujian Province, with over 200 representatives from more than 180 member units of the pesticide industry in attendance.

 

　　At the meeting, Sun Shubao, President of the China Pesticide Industry Association, presented the work report of the third session of the ninth council to the attending council members. In his report, he outlined the Association’s activities in 2013, analyzed the challenges and tasks facing the pesticide industry, and laid out the key priorities for 2014. Looking back on the Association’s work in 2013, Mr. Sun noted that over the past year the organization had undertaken extensive efforts to advance structural adjustments, strengthen scientific and technological innovation, and promote energy conservation and emissions reduction, successfully achieving all set objectives and fully fulfilling its role as a bridge between the pesticide sector and broader social development. He further explained that in 2013, China’s pesticide industry achieved notable results in restructuring, with steady production growth and a substantial improvement in profitability. Both the industry’s main business revenue and profits reached new record highs, while domestic pesticide imports and exports increased in both volume and value, leading to a robust expansion of the trade surplus. Amid continued growth, the sector even posted counter‑trend profit gains, standing out as a bright spot within the broader petrochemical industry. Nevertheless, the problems confronting the industry remain significant: overcapacity must be curbed, and environmental concerns persist—both of which continue to constrain development and require concerted efforts by enterprises, the industry, and the Association to overcome.

 

　　Regarding the glyphosate environmental‑compliance verification—a matter of widespread concern in the industry—Sun Shubao stated: “As the first product in the pesticide sector to undergo such an environmental‑compliance review, this process is quite complex. However, environmental standards will not be relaxed; only enterprises that genuinely meet the requirements will pass the verification. The first batch of companies to pass are expected to be publicly announced and disclosed in the near future.”

 

　　While outlining and planning the Association’s work for 2014, Sun Shubao emphasized that, under the new policy environment, the Association will strengthen both its sense of opportunity and its awareness of potential challenges, strive to achieve concrete results, tackle tough issues head-on, and take deepening reform and opening-up as the fundamental driving force. With structural adjustment as the primary focus and innovation-driven development as a key pillar, the Association will act in line with prevailing trends, work to improve the industry’s operating environment, accelerate industrial restructuring and mergers and acquisitions, and pursue transformation and upgrading. It will guide the agrochemical sector to align with macroeconomic policies, propel the industry toward higher‑value segments of the value chain, and promote the healthy, stable, and sustainable development of the agrochemical sector.

 

　　At the meeting, Ye Jiming, Deputy Director of the Pesticide Inspection Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture, was invited to outline the new issues and challenges confronting China’s pesticide industry in the current era. He pointed out five key factors: first, mounting environmental pressures—most recently, the enactment of the “strictest-ever” Environmental Protection Law—which undeniably imposes stricter requirements on the sector; second, from a policy perspective, agricultural subsidies have been steadily increasing in recent years, accompanied by a series of measures to support and benefit farmers, signaling positive momentum for the industry; third, government oversight of the pesticide sector continues to tighten; as exemplified by the introduction of maximum residue limits for harmful solvents in emulsifiable concentrates, the industry must further standardize its practices to achieve sound and sustainable development; fourth, the substantial influx of new products from foreign companies has exerted considerable pressure on China’s domestic pesticide market; and fifth, in today’s socio‑economic landscape, transformation and upgrading have become indispensable for enterprises; only through such transformation can companies truly attain sustainable growth.

 

　　Addressing public concerns about pesticide safety, Ye Jiming stated that the industry must pay close attention to the safety of neonicotinoid pesticides for honeybees, the toxicity of methoxyacrylate‑type pesticides to aquatic organisms such as fish and shrimp, the toxicity of diamide‑type pesticides to aquatic crustaceans like water fleas, and the safety of sulfonylurea herbicides, among other issues.

 

　　In addition, the conference featured a special address by He Yuanbo, President of Bayer Crop Science for Greater China, who outlined how Bayer has leveraged policy opportunities in China’s agricultural sector to deliver substantial benefits to the company while contributing to the advancement of farmers and the industry as a whole.

 

　　He stated that China’s pesticide market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 8% from 2012 to 2020. As agricultural operators increasingly seek higher productivity, more low‑toxicity, highly effective, and environmentally friendly pesticide products will be introduced, and the market’s value‑creation potential should not be underestimated.

 

　　In addition, Li Zhonghua, Secretary-General of the China Pesticide Industry Association, highlighted several domestically developed and innovative pesticide products currently available in China, including tetrachlorantraniliprole, diflubenzuron, ethiprole, and cyfluthrin. She emphasized that China’s capacity for independent R&D and innovation is steadily strengthening and that further efforts are needed to accelerate the transition from a major pesticide‑producing country to a leading one.