Releasing new agrochemicals can lower prices: Dejalma Zimme

By Leonardo Gottems, Reporter for AgroPages

According to agricultural productivity specialist Dejalma Zimmer, accelerating the registration and commercial release of agrochemicals authorized by the current Brazilian government is positive for the sector, as it can lower the prices of pesticides in the country.

In Zimmer's opinion, the release is “very positive,” as it shows that the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) is delivering more professional work to the Brazilian rural productive sector, adding that such new registrations encourage competition between manufacturers, which will consequently lower input prices and make companies interested in developing new formulas.

“MAPA aims to improve its flexibility even without hiring more people, through a change in stances and attitude to improve performance. Our processes are aligned with the best agricultural practices worldwide,” he explained.

The Department of Plant Health and Agricultural Inputs, a Brazilian government agency linked to MAPA, has been publishing dozens of product registrations on its waiting list every month. Most of them are equivalent technical products, copies of active ingredients that already exist in Brazil, and are used as raw materials in the preparation of formulated agrochemicals.

“Whenever an industry develops a new active ingredient, it has the right to this compound for 15 years. When this period expires, any company in the world can request the registration of an equivalent product”, Zimmer noted.

Bruno Breitenbach (General Coordinator of Pesticides and Related Products of the Ministry of Agriculture) explained, “Technical products are chemical products with a high degree of purity and concentration of active ingredients, which will later be used as components in the production of formulated products. We also stress that there will be no registration of any product containing an active ingredient that is unknown in Brazil.”