15 Latin American countries have significant development potential for the pesticide market

Latin America represents a highly diversified set of markets for chemical and biological pesticides, representing approximately 25% of the total global market.

Latin America represents a highly diversified set of markets for chemical and biological pesticides, representing approximately 25% of the total global market. It is also an expanding market with multiple opportunities in all agribusiness segments. Accessing such a market requires knowledge of the regulatory framework and processes for obtaining due registration country by country.

Market Relevance

The plant protection products market in Latin America has an approximate value of USD 20 billion in a free estimate for 2019, however there are no data available for companies in the sector that transparently indicate the exact market value in each of the countries. The growing market in Latin America is extremely sensitive to exchange rate influences, making the market value fluctuate depending on political and economic factors. Brazil is by far the largest market in the region representing approximately 60% of the total market value. In addition to the high value, the region still has the greatest potential for agricultural expansion, representing approximately 40% of the area available for agriculture in the world.

Of the 34 countries that are part of the region, we consider that 15 have significant development potential for the pesticide market. For a better evaluation, we separated the market into mesoregions, as follows:

We understand that the great opportunity for the pesticide market is in the high diversification of crops, allowing greater possibilities of registration in different cultures and biological targets. Such diversification allows for a better distribution of sales during the agricultural cycle, reducing economic risks, the market situation of each crop and country in isolation, in addition to climatic risks.

ArenaAgri believes that an efficient registration diversification should be pursued and composed of the following specific crops in order to expand the access possibilities:

“It is essential to know each market situation to position the best registration strategy for pesticides and their residue limits.”

It is important to mention that the Latin America region is a major exporter of various agricultural products, and it is essential to know the situation of each market to position the best registration strategy for pesticides and their residue limits. The main agricultural products exported are soybeans, corn, cotton, sugar, orange juice, coffee, bananas, ornamentals, cocoa, grapes, apples and other fruits. The main importers are distributed between Asia, Europe and the Middle East and the United States.

Registration Process

In order to have access to the market, it is necessary to register crop protection products under the perspective of each national legislation.

The process begins with a request from the company for a Special Test Registry (RET) that allows the requesting company to carry out the necessary tests for the subsequent steps. In Brazil, pesticides must pass the assessment of three bodies: MAPA, IBAMA and ANVISA. It takes several years to obtain a pesticide molecule. The period ranges from its discovery to approval for commercialization.

Each of these bodies performs a certain type of product evaluation, independently of the other. MAPA1 is responsible for assessing efficiency and potential for use in agriculture. IBAMA is assigned an environmental assessment, in which the potential pollutant of the product is assessed. ANVISA, on the other hand, performs the toxicological assessment of the pesticide, determining the conditions under which its use is safe.

After approvals in these three federal spheres, the company must apply for registration in each of the states where the product will be marketed. In this step, the product label, the instructions for use and the issuing of the registration register will be registered.

In general terms, across all Latin American countries, the registration rules follow the same pattern, but with particularities in each country processes, making the time to obtain registration wide variable. The countries of the Southern Cone have, on average, 2 years to obtain registration. In the Andean region, registrations can take 2 to 3 years, whereas in Mexico and CAC, the terms have increased, reaching 4-5 years. Logically, these deadlines are the result of observations and depend on the number of crops and biological targets, in addition to the type of product being registered.

For more accurate information, it is necessary to have a local consultancy to detail activities, requirements, deadlines and costs.

“LATAM market offers a wide array of crop opportunities, both for local markets and for exports.”

Conclusion:

With an expressive acreage and high potential for expansion, under tropical conditions and more than one crop per year (depending on the region), the market potential for pesticide companies is relevant. There are challenges in the regulatory area (e.g. registration time in Brazil) and there are great opportunities due to the importance of these inputs for sustainable agricultural production in the region.

Mérieux NutriSciences (Bioagri Laboratories)

www.merieuxnutrisciences.com.br 

+55 (19) 3429 7700

+55 (19) 98137 3325

agro.br@mxns.com