Rainbow Agro enters pyroxasulfone market with 2000t/a pyroxasulfone technical project approved for registration

Shandong Weifang Rainbow Chemical Co., Ltd. (Rainbow Agro) received approval to construct a Pyrazolesulfone project on December 8, 2023, with an annual production capacity of 2,000 tons. 

According to the project registration certificate, Rainbow Agro plans to invest RMB300 million to construct a 2000t/a pyroxasulfone project in the Binhai Economic and Technological Development Zone, covering an area of 19,130-square meters, and utilizing reserved land to the north of the second branch company, formerly the north factory, of Rainbow Agro. The total construction area will be 12,026-square meters, encompassing two production workshops, one power workshop, one explosion-proof control room, environmental protection facilities, RTO units, and a tank area. The existing 464 -square meter Class A warehouse in the factory will be shared by the project, and 545 sets of equipment, such as kettles, towers, tanks, pumps and centrifuges, will be purchased. Upon completion, the project will have a annual production capacity of 2,000 tons of pyroxasulfone.

Rainbow Agro’s global layout progress for pyroxasulfone

Rainbow Agro has completed its 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 product registration plans, and based on these plans, the company has also completed its registration layout plans for China and key target countries around the world, and is expected to obtain registration certificates for the Chinese domestic market and many important overseas markets in the second half of 2024, as well as enter different target markets in the first half of 2025. At the same time, it has applied for a number of patents related to technical production, formulation combinations, and applications for this active ingredient.

Rainbow Agro’s 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 product registration plans are part of its key strategic plan. Relying on the three progressive stages of its product registration plan, Rainbow Agro has gradually realized its strategic layout from generic registration to innovative product registration to truly differentiated registration, helping enhance its global marketing network.

Rainbow Agro, a multinational crop protection company born in China, has built a complete industrial chain covering the research, development and manufacturing of technicals and formulations, as well as brands, channels, sales and services for the global market. It has maintained the first position in terms of exports value of crop protection products in China for many years. In 2023, Rainbow Agro ranked third on the list of Top 100 pesticide companies in China, with annual sales totaling RMB14.46 billion. Rainbow Agro’s presence in the pyroxasulfone sector will expand the company’s already rich product portfolio and bring greater overall competitiveness to pyroxasulfone made in China.

Chinese companies are competing in the booming pyroxasulfone market

Pyroxasulfone is an isoxazole herbicide developed by Kumiai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Since its launch in 2011, it has achieved strong growth momentum globally. In 2016, its global sales reached US$135 million, making it a 10-million-dollar-level product. The market for pyroxasulfone experienced another surge due to significant sales growth in the US, Australia, Argentina, Brazil and other markets. From 2021 to 2022, sales of pyroxasulfone soared to US$400 million, with a year-on-year growth rate of 53%. According to projections by Kumiai Chemical, the market for pyroxasulfone is expected to further grow to US$536 million in 2023.

Sales of pyroxasulfone by Kumiai Chemical (in hundred million yen)

Source: Kumiai Chemical

Pyroxasulfone has a similar herbicidal spectrum to acetochlor, metolachlor and other amide herbicides, but its activity is much higher. Currently, acetochlor and metolachlor have been banned in the European Union, and S-metolachlor is also at risk of being banned due to its potential endocrine-disrupting effect. In the future, the application range of pyroxasulfone could expand through combinations with classical herbicides or other methods, and it could become a popular option for replacing acetochlor and (S-)metolachlor, leading to growing market demand.

The patent for the active ingredient of pyroxasulfone in China, under patent number CN1257895C, expired on February 6, 2022. As of September 2023, only one company, Shanghai Qunli Chemical Co., Ltd., holds a registration for pyroxasulfone in China, specifically for 98% pyroxasulfone technical and 40% pyroxasulfone aqueous suspension concentrate, with the validity period until January 29, 2024.

Production capacity of pyroxasulfone in China

 (Incomplete statistics by AgroPages, with the final production capacity subject to the actual construction results)