Pesticide Registration in Poland: Prothioconazole Leads the Market, Patented Products Dominate the Top 10

Poland, situated in central Europe, is bordered by the Baltic Sea to the north, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Belarus to the east, Germany to the west, and Russia, Lithuania, and Ukraine to the northeast and southeast. With a land area of 312,700 square kilometers, Poland boasts flat, open terrain and a dense network of rivers and lakes, providing excellent natural conditions for agricultural production.

As one of Europe’s major agricultural nations, agriculture plays a significant role in Poland’s economy. As of January 2023, the country’s agricultural land spanned 18.647 million hectares, with cultivated land accounting for 72.3% of the total.

According to the Central Statistical Office of Poland, the total agricultural output value in 2022 reached 200.1 billion zlotys, representing 6.5% of the GDP, with an added value of 80 billion zlotys.

Poland’s primary crops include wheat, rye, potatoes, sugar beets, and rapeseed, all ranking among the top ten in Europe. The country is also a leading European producer of meat products, dairy products, and fruits and vegetables, including apples, onions, cabbage, and cauliflower.

Furthermore, Poland’s agricultural exports totaled 51.8 billion euros in 2023, with exports to the EU comprising 73% of the total. This highlights the strong international competitiveness of Poland’s agricultural sector.

Despite the large scale of its agricultural sector, Poland’s chemical industry remains relatively underdeveloped. While the country hosts numerous domestic chemical companies offering a wide range of products, their production capacity is limited, necessitating the import of many agrochemical products. This situation underscores not only the critical role of agrochemicals in supporting Poland’s agricultural growth but also the opportunities and challenges that agrochemical companies face when entering the Polish market.

Currently, Poland has approved a total of 2,853 pesticide registration certificates, involving 168 companies. Among these, 2,817 are conventional chemical pesticide products, accounting for 98.74%, while biological pesticide products number only 36, representing 1.26% of the total.

Data source: Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Data time: December 23, 2024

From an enterprise perspective, the top 10 companies hold a combined market share of 46.51%. Most of these are prominent multinational corporations, including BASF, Bayer, and Syngenta. Indian companies also stand out, with UPL and Sharda both making it into the top 10. This achievement makes India the only country, apart from Germany, to have two companies on the list.

Notably, the top-ranked company is Innvigo Sp., a Polish local enterprise that demonstrates impressive market competitiveness. Another relatively less-known player is Globachem NV from Belgium, which secured its position in the top 10 through its distinctive market strategy.

Data source: Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Data time: December 23, 2024

After classifying 2,853 registered products by pesticide dosage form, the top 10 dosage forms are: capsule suspension, suspo-emulsion, water soluble granule, suspension concentrate for seed treatment, oil-based suspension concentrate, emulsiom oil in water, soluble concentrate, water dispersible granules, emulsifiable concentrates, and suspension concentrates. Among these, suspension products number 503, accounting for 17.63%, while emulsifiable concentrates total 415, representing 14.55%. Together, these two dosage forms account for more than 10% of the market, indicating their significant share.

Furthermore, the top 10 dosage forms collectively account for 58.85% of all registered products, highlighting the diversity and wide range of dosage forms in the Polish pesticide market. This variety offers numerous options to meet the demands of different application scenarios.

Data source: Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Data time: December 23, 2024

Traditional fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides dominate the pesticide market, with a total of 2,576 registration certificates. Among these, herbicides lead with 1,212 registration certificates, accounting for 42.48%, followed by fungicides with 1,092 certificates, making up 36.07%. Insecticides, however, have only 335 registration certificates, accounting for just 11.74%.

It is worth noting that the number of insecticide products in the Polish market is relatively small. Typically, in most countries, even when a particular pesticide category has fewer registrations, its total often exceeds the combined total of other categories (except for those mentioned above). However, the low number of insecticide registrations in Poland is an unusual and noteworthy occurrence.

Data source: Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Data time: December 23, 2024

The top 10 active ingredients in herbicides account for a total of 702 registered products, representing 24.61% of the market.

    •   Diflufenican ranks first, with 90 products, accounting for 3.15%.

    •   Florasulam follows in second place, with 86 products, representing 3.01%.

    •   Glyphosate is in third, with 85 products, accounting for 2.98%.

    •   Nicosulfuron ranks fourth, with 78 products, representing 2.73%.

    •   Metachlor is fifth, with 69 products, accounting for 2.42%.

    •   Mesotrione comes in sixth, with 65 products, representing 2.28%.

    •   Flufenacet is seventh, with 61 products, accounting for 2.14%.

    •   Clomazone is eighth, with 60 products, representing 2.10%.

    •   Tribenuron ranks ninth, with 58 products, accounting for 2.03%.

    •   Dicamba is tenth, with 50 products, representing 1.75%.

Data source: Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Data time: December 23, 2024

The top 10 active ingredients in fungicides account for a total of 783 registered products, representing 27.44% of the market.

    •   Prothioconazole ranks first, with 139 products, accounting for 4.87%.

    •   Tebuconazole follows in second, with 135 products, representing 4.73%.

    •   Azoxystrobin ranks third, with 118 products, accounting for 4.14%.

    •   Difenoconazole is in fourth, with 94 products, representing 3.29%.

    •   Fludioxonil ranks fifth, with 79 products, accounting for 2.77%.

    •   Metconazole comes in sixth, with 48 products, representing 1.68%.

    •   Pyraclostrobin ranks seventh, with 45 products, accounting for 1.58%.

    •   Boscalid also ranks eighth, with 45 products, representing 1.58%.

    •   Captan is ninth, with 42 products, accounting for 1.47%.

    •   Fluxapyroxad rounds out the top 10, with 38 products, accounting for 1.33%.

Data source: Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Data time: December 23, 2024

The top 10 active ingredients in pesticides account for a total of 256 registered products, representing 8.97% of the market.

    •   Trinexapac ranks first, with 46 products, accounting for 1.61%.

    •   Acetamiprid follows in second, with 39 products, representing 1.37%.

    •   Deltamethrin ranks third, with 36 products, accounting for 1.26%.

    •   Cypermethrin is fourth, with 26 products, representing 0.91%.

    •   Aluminum phosphide ranks fifth, with 25 products, accounting for 0.88%.

    •   Lambda-Cyhalothrin is sixth, with 22 products, representing 0.77%.

    •   Pyrethrin ranks seventh, with 17 products, accounting for 0.60%.

    •   Chlorantraniliprole also ranks eighth, with 17 products, representing 0.60%.

    •   Cyantraniliprole ranks ninth, with 16 products, accounting for 0.56%.

    •   Abamectin rounds out the top 10, with 12 products, accounting for 0.42%.

Data source: Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Data time: December 23, 2024