Pesticide Registration Approvals Decreased in 2023 in Brazil

Flávio Hirata, agronomist (ESALQ-USP), expert in pesticide registration and partner at AllierBrasil. flavio.hirata@uol.com.br WhatsApp +55 11 993304717

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 3rd highest ever recorded.

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

Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock; adapted by AllierBrasil

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

Notes: Registrations managed by consulting firms that are under the name of third parties were not included. 

In the case of AllierBrasil, 41 registrations were approved, considering registrations held by third parties.

Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock; adapted by AllierBrasil

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

Note: Registrations managed by consulting firms that are under the name of third parties were not included. 

Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock; adapted by AllierBrasil

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 with the intention of selling them, similar to what happens in the pesticide distributor and dealer market and in 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

(Formulated Product, New Formulated Product, Formulated Product based on Equivalent Technical Product)

Note: Registrations managed by consulting firms that are under the name of third parties were not included. 

Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock; adapted by AllierBrasil

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

Note:* Equivalent Technical Product

Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock; adapted by AllierBrasil

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. In this sense, AllierBrasil has been promoting seminars, lectures and training courses on pesticide registration for more than 20 years, for more than 8,500 in-person participants around the world.

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AllierBrasil 2024 lecture schedule:

CAC Shanghai, March 14th, Shanghai, China.

Agrochemical Tradeshow São Paulo, April 22nd and 23rd, São Paulo.

Brasil Agrochemical Tradeshow, August, São Paulo.

Forum AllierBrasil, November, New Delhi, India.

Forum AllierBrasil,November, Nanjing, China.

AllierBrasil is a consulting firm dedicated to agribusiness, focusing on pesticide registration and on developing technical-commercial partnerships. For more than 25 years, AllierBrasil has promoted Brazilian agriculture and has enabled pesticide companies to enter the Brazilian market.