Bioinputs to grow 3 times faster than agrochemicals, says UPL

The global market for biological inputs is expected to grow three times faster than traditional agrochemical products, according to Jorge Molfino, General Manager of UPL Argentina, who made this statement during his participation at CDA 2025, the 3rd Argentine Agricultural Distributors Congress, which received special coverage from AgroPages.

According to the executive from the Indian-origin multinational, biosolutions represent a "concrete opportunity to transform Argentina's production model." He noted that while the chemical market is projected to increase by about 4% annually, biosolutions are expected to grow by 12% to 14% year-on-year.

"What's coming is a combined management of chemical and biological products, with a more sustainable approach and a focus on quality and productivity," added the General Manager of UPL Argentina.

According to Molfino, input prices have already begun to show signs of stabilization in the market after a period of downward pressure. He explained that this price consolidation trend is driven by supply exceeding demand and high inventory levels in sales and distribution channels and that this situation is not exclusive to Argentina.

On the other hand, he emphasized that this recovery would be gradual. "We don't see signs of a sharp recovery, nor significant new drops. We project relative price stability over the next two to three years," he forecast.

Beyond the price performance of traditional chemical inputs, Molfino highlighted the sustained growth of biological products, a market that now exceeds US$15 billion globally. "In Argentina, it still represents a smaller slice—about US$120 million—but it is growing strongly and presents a great opportunity for the input distribution channel," he observed.

China and India in Spotlight

Participating in the panel "The Impact of Asia on the Agricultural Input Market and Channel," the UPL spokesperson emphasized that Asia currently represents 60% of the world's population, with India and China alone accounting for 70% of this bloc. As a result, he highlighted the growing role of India and China as key players in the global industry.

"Both nations are positioning themselves as emerging powers that are reshaping the world order, with a direct impact on our industry," observed the General Manager of UPL Argentina. To support his assertion, Molfino highlighted that China and India represent more than 80% of the global agricultural input market.

The executive recalled that China remains the world's largest producer of agrochemicals but that India has shown sustained growth in recent years. "This growth is not just in volume, but also in quality, thanks to efficiency, technology, and the development of new agricultural solutions, in addition to the human capital that gives them demographic potential," Molfino added.

He also highlighted that both India and China are investing heavily in innovation, artificial intelligence, data science, and bioinputs, trends that pave the way for more sustainable agriculture, combining it with traditional chemical technologies.

Representing a company from India, Molfino emphasized UPL's commitment to the distribution chain and joint value creation at the end of his presentation. "We will continue to work closely with our distributors," he said. 

″We firmly believe in their role as technology transfer agents and as essential allies to bring innovation to producers. Our focus is on generating value throughout the chain under a concept we call 'win/win/win': the producer wins, the distributor wins, and the industry wins," he said in conclusion.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)