Brazil Ag Ministry Releases Agrochemical Priority List

 

The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Supply (MAPA) released, in April, its new List of Priorities for Registration and Amendment of Agrochemicals. According to MAPA, the objective is to prioritize the registration of agrochemicals for the control of crop plagues listed as having great economic importance, or those that have few available defense alternatives.

 

According to the Secretary of Defense for Agriculture, the criteria for choosing the molecules took into account the availability of active ingredients for each pest and crop. The selection process addressed technical and economic aspects, taking into account the need for pesticides with better efficiency for priority listed pests, and the need for rotation of use of the mechanisms of action for the resistance management of these pests, as well as the breach of monopoly in products in which the patent period and data ownership has closed.

 

The preparation of the list was discussed at two meetings of the Technical Advisory Committee for Agrochemicals, which took place on March 8 and April 3, 2019. "The entire process of establishing priority was attended by the representation of the producers, to identify and prioritize products that can really contribute decisively to pest control in Brazilian agriculture," said MAPA.

 

Registration companies and representatives of the productive sector may still file appeals of chemicals the list, if submitted by May 31, 2019.

 

 

The 40 molecules chosen as having priority for the concession of records of agrochemicals benefited 22 companies. With four molecules, Syngenta was the most considered, followed by BASF, CCAB, DuPont, Adama and Rotam, which given priority for three molecules.

 

Two molecules were chosen are from companies: Bayer, Iharabras, Cropchem, Nortox and Lemma. In addition, 11 other companies have prioritized one molecule, including Dow, Sumitomo, BRA, Prentiss, Nelty, Nichino, Biorisk, Coromandel, Oxiquímica, Helm and UPL.

 

Among the pests, the priority targets are the whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis), and caterpillars (mainly Helicoverpa spp., Chrysodeixis includens and Spodoptera spp.). According to consultant Josué Verba, an agronomist, there are  a variety of products destined to control caterpillars among different crops, with a combination of active ingredients already available in the market and new assets.

 

As for diseases, the main products are for Asian rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi). Priority was given to products based on carboxamides, a chemical group that has demonstrated better performance against this disease in Brazil. This active ingredient will be available in various combinations, with triazoles, strobilurins and multisite products.

 

The Brazilian government prioritized, among herbicides, those that have a focus on controlling plants that show resistance to those agrochemicals available in the market today. Among the resistant weeds are mainly hairy fleabane (Conyza bonariensis) and sourgrass (Digitaria insularis). In addition to new combinations of active ingredients already used in the market, there was also an increase in the number of companies having a record of high performance generic products.