Generic agrochemicals cost 25% less than specialties in Brazil

The prices of generic agrochemicals (post-patent) are approximately 25% lower on average than the prices of specialties in Brazil. The data come from a study developed by the research staff of Albaugh Brasil, who evaluated the market prices of agrochemicals used in Brazil for soybeans.

This explains the massive use of generic agrochemicals on Brazilian crops. According to data from the National Union of the Industries of Crop Protection Products (Sindiveg), some 75% of the agrochemicals imported by the country were generic. A few years before that, this total was less than half of this proportion.

"With the evolution of post-patent agrochemicals, farmers started to see that these products were efficient and cheaper, and this reality became more evident in the field,” stated the president of Albaugh Brasil, Renato Seraphim.

The company's research indicated that a basket of agrochemicals covers two applications against bedbugs, two against the white-fly and one for caterpillars, while three are fungicides, one is for seed treatment, four are non-selective herbicides, and one is a selective herbicide. “In some cases, like the insecticides for caterpillars and white-fly, the savings reach up to 50% with the use of post-patent products,” said Leandro Ponchio, marketing director at Albaugh Brasil.

Ponchio stressed that even in the case of specialties that generate higher yields, farmers prefer using generic products. “Taking into consideration the specialties bring in yields of 55 bags of soybeans per hectare and post-patent products provide 45 bags, the savings on costs for agrochemicals amount to 20%. Besides this, in a scenario of credit restriction, the cost reduction exposes the farmers to less risk, as he is dependent on the weather, which is not predictable for production.”