Helicoverpa armigera makes bio pesticides gain more market share in Brazil

Date:10-03-2013

Biological control gained market share as an alternative to the prohibition to register and commercialize chemical defensives fight specifically helicoverpa armigera. Both emerging companies and multinationals are investing in the development of biopesticides for agriculture in a commercial scale, either in order to supplement or even reduce the use of chemicals.

Biological control segment represented last year only 1% of the markets’ revenue, up until now, that it was connected to organic and family farming. In 2012 the total market revenue was US$ 9.7 billion. However, with the appearance of the caterpillar pest helicoverpa armigera in main Brazilian crops, the segment estimated to achieve a share of 10-15%, reaching US$ 1 billion revenue annually.
 
According to Gustavo Hermann, president of the Brazilian Association of Biological Control Companies (ABCBio), "the caterpillar caused huge demand" and "biological control is entering conventional agriculture” to prove wrong "the myth that biological is only for organic or family farming." For him, there is room in the market for everybody: "there are already investment funds in the sector. This only proves its potential."
 
Bayer CropScience is one of the giant chemical companies to enter the biological segment. "We decided to invest because we see that biological products will complement, supplement and protect the chemical solution," says Mauro Alberton ,Director of cultures and portfolio strategy in the company. Considering this scenario, the German company bought AgraQuest and Prophyta GmbH, among others, to develop biological technologies.
 
It also released in the Brazilian market a product both fungicide and bactericide for producers of fruits and vegetables. According to Alberton, the next move is to register in the country some of the products already used abroad. "Globally, we have products for nematodes and we will bring these new solutions to the Brazilian market," he said to the DCI newspaper.