Philippines Pesticide Registration: Only 14 Products Approved for Durian

The Philippines, located in Southeast Asia, holds a strategic geographical position. To the north, it faces Taiwan, China, across the Bashi Channel; to the south, it connects with Indonesia and Malaysia across the Sulawesi Sea and Balabac Strait. The South China Sea lies to its west, while the Pacific Ocean borders it to the east. 

The country comprises over 7,000 islands, covering a total area of 299,700 square kilometers with a coastline stretching approximately 18,533 kilometers. Notably, 11 major islands, including Luzon, Mindanao, and Palawan, account for 96% of the nation’s land area.

The Philippines is located in the Eastern 8th time zone, aligning with Beijing time, with no time difference or daylight saving time. The country experiences a typical tropical monsoon rainforest climate, characterized by year-round high temperatures, heavy rainfall, and high humidity. The average temperature is approximately 27°C, with annual precipitation ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 mm and an average humidity of 78%.

The western region has distinct dry (November to April) and rainy (May to October) seasons, while the eastern region experiences rainfall throughout the year, especially during winter. In contrast, the southern region remains humid year-round, with no clear dry or rainy season. Notably, the Pacific Ocean to the east of the Philippines is a typhoon hotspot, with peak typhoon activity occurring between June and November.

Philippine Economic Development

In recent years, the distribution of the three major industries in the Philippines’ national economy has remained relatively stable:

    •   Primary Industry (Agriculture, Forestry, Fishery): Contributes approximately 10% to GDP, with 8.9% in 2022. The total added value of agriculture, forestry, and fishery was 1.78 trillion pesos that year. While the livestock industry grew by 2.3%, the sugarcane industry saw a sharp decline of 17.5%, and rice production dropped by 1%. However, corn production experienced a modest increase of 0.6%.

    •   Secondary Industry (Industry): Accounts for about 30% of GDP. In 2022, the manufacturing sector made the largest contribution to industrial value added, reaching 3.7 trillion pesos, or 18.7% of GDP. Key manufacturing sectors include electronic components, food processing, and chemical products.

    •   Tertiary Industry (Services): Represents around 60% of GDP and serves as the core pillar of the Philippine economy.

Infrastructure Development – The ″Build More and Build Better″ Plan

To foster economic growth, the Philippine government launched the ″Build More and Build Better″ plan, which spans from 2022 to 2028 and aims to invest 9 trillion pesos in key infrastructure projects. Under the Marcos administration, 194 projects have been approved, covering sectors such as public transportation, electricity, healthcare, information technology, water resources, and agriculture.

In this economic context, agriculture, a crucial primary industry in the Philippines, has a significant demand for related products and services, particularly in the pesticide sector. Next, we will provide a detailed overview of the pesticide registration system and market characteristics in the Philippines.

So far, the Philippines has issued a total of 4,153 pesticide registration certificates, involving 337 registered companies. When sorted by the number of registration certificates, the top ten companies are: Agchem, Radisson, S&P Enterprises, Lichemphil, UPL, Agway, Leads, Syngenta, Zagro, Rainbow, and Bayer.

These ten companies have collectively registered 791 products, accounting for just 17.63% of the total number of certificates—less than 20%. Specifically:

    •   Bayer ranks first with 90 registered products, representing 2.17% of the total.

    •   Rainbow ranks second with 88 registered products, making up 2.12%.

    •   Zagro ranks third with 81 registered products, accounting for 1.95%.

The combined registrations of these three companies exceed 80, demonstrating their strong market presence. Additionally, Corteva, with 57 products, ranks 13th and does not make the top ten, while BASF, with only 37 products, ranks relatively low.

These figures suggest that the Philippine pesticide market is relatively fragmented. Although leading companies hold certain advantages, market concentration remains low.

Data source:Philippines Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority

Data time: December 20, 2024

After categorizing the 4,153 pesticide products registered in the Philippines by dosage form, the top ten dosage forms are: Mixed Formulations of CS and SC, Granule, Pellet, Oil Dispersion, Water Dispersible Granule, Water Soluble Powder, Soluble Concentrate, Suspension Concentrate, Wettable Powder, and Emulsifiable Concentrate.

Among these:

    •   Emulsifiable Concentrate ranks first with 1,315 products, accounting for 31.80%.

    •   Wettable Powder ranks second with 689 products, making up 16.66%.

    •   Suspension Concentrate ranks third with 662 products, representing 16.01%.

Together, these three dosage forms account for 64.47% of the total registered products, indicating their dominant market share. Furthermore, the top ten dosage forms account for 88.54% of the total registered products, highlighting the concentration of the market in these categories.

It is worth noting the presence of a relatively uncommon dosage form—Pellet, with 65 registered products, accounting for only 1.57%. Despite its small share, it demonstrates the diversity of the Philippine pesticide market.

Data source:Philippines Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority

Data time: December 20, 2024

In terms of pesticide product types, conventional products such as fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides account for the majority of the 3,644 total registration certificates.

Breakdown:

    •   Insecticides lead with 1,474 registrations, representing 35.49% of the total.

    •   Herbicides follow with 1,184 registrations, making up 28.51%.

    •   Fungicides rank third with 986 registrations, accounting for 23.74%.

Together, these three categories represent 87.74% of the total, highlighting their dominant position in the Philippine pesticide market.

Data source:Philippines Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority

Data time: December 20, 2024

The top 10 active ingredients in pesticides account for a total of 983 registered products, representing 23.67% of the total.

    •   Lambda-Cyhalothrin ranks first, with 175 products, accounting for 4.21%.

    •   Cypermethrin ranks second, with 169 products, making up 4.07%.

    •   Chlorpyrifos ranks third, with 126 products, accounting for 3.03%.

    •   Cartap Hydrochloride ranks fourth, with 108 products, representing 2.60%.

    •   Methomyl ranks fifth, with 80 products, making up 1.93%.

    •   Thiamethoxam and Profenofos are tied for sixth, with 79 products, each accounting for 1.90%.

    •   Malathion ranks seventh, with 63 products, representing 1.52%.

    •   BPMC ranks eighth, with 54 products, accounting for 1.30%.

    •   Fipronil ranks ninth, with 50 products, making up 1.20%.

Data source:Philippines Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority

Data time: December 20, 2024

The top 10 active ingredients in herbicides account for a total of 1,115 registered products, representing 26.85% of the total.

    •   Glyphosate Isopropionate ranks first, with 234 products, accounting for 5.63%.

    •   Butachlor ranks second, with 149 products, making up 3.59%.

    •   Diuron ranks third, with 131 products, representing 3.15%.

    •   Cyhalofop-Butyl ranks fourth, with 106 products, accounting for 2.55%.

    •   Bispyribac-Sodium ranks fifth, with 104 products, making up 2.50%.

    •   2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid Isobutyl Ester ranks sixth, with 96 products, accounting for 2.31%.

    •   Glufosinate Ammonium ranks seventh, with 88 products, making up 2.12%.

    •   Propanil ranks eighth, with 80 products, representing 1.93%.

    •   2,4-D Amine ranks ninth, with 79 products, accounting for 1.90%.

    •   Atrazine ranks tenth, with 48 products, making up 1.16%.

Data source:Philippines Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority

Data time: December 20, 2024

The top 10 active ingredients in fungicides account for a total of 766 registered products, representing 18.44% of the total.

    •   Mancozeb ranks first, with 221 products, accounting for 5.32%.

    •   Chlorothalonil ranks second, with 134 products, making up 3.23%.

    •   Difenoconazole ranks third, with 105 products, representing 2.53%.

    •   Azoxystrobin ranks fourth, with 55 products, accounting for 1.32%.

    •   Propiconazole ranks fifth, with 52 products, making up 1.25%.

    •   Thiophanate-Methyl ranks sixth, with 48 products, accounting for 1.16%.

    •   Carbendazim ranks seventh, with 43 products, representing 1.04%.

    •   Benomyl ranks eighth, with 41 products, accounting for 0.99%.

    •   Tebuconazole ranks ninth, with 40 products, making up 0.96%.

    •   Tridemorph ranks tenth, with 27 products, accounting for 0.65%.

Data source:Philippines Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority

Data time: December 20, 2024

The top 10 crops in pesticide product registration account for a total of 13,386 registered products.

    •   Rice ranks first, with 2,572 products, representing 61.93%.

    •   Mango ranks second, with 1,768 products, accounting for 42.57%.

    •   Banana ranks third, with 1,573 products, making up 37.88%.

    •   Corn ranks fourth, with 1,560 products, accounting for 37.56%.

    •   Tomato ranks fifth, with 1,269 products, representing 30.56%.

    •   Onion ranks sixth, with 1,121 products, accounting for 26.99%.

    •   Cabbage ranks seventh, with 956 products, making up 23.02%.

    •   Eggplant ranks eighth, with 904 products, representing 21.77%.

    •   Watermelon ranks ninth, with 841 products, accounting for 20.25%.

    •   Cotton ranks tenth, with 822 products, making up 19.79%.

It is noteworthy that only 14 pesticide products have been registered for use on durian in the Philippines, with plant growth regulators making up the vast majority (12 products), and only 2 fungicides being registered.

Data source:Philippines Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority

Data time: December 20, 2024

The two fungicides are Thiophanate-Methyl and Prochloraz, registered by INTERNATIONAL VETERINARY AGROCHEMICAL (IVA), INC. and CB ANDREW ASIA, INC., respectively.