Analysis of Pesticide Registration in Hebei Province from 2019 to 2023: Trends and Characteristics

As a major agricultural province, Hebei ranked fourth nationwide in the number of pesticide-producing enterprises and fifth in the number of registered pesticide products as of the end of 2023. In recent years, Hebei’s pesticide industry has undergone standardized development; particularly since the 2017 revision of the Regulations on the Administration of Pesticides (hereinafter referred to as the “Regulations”) and the promulgation and implementation of related supporting rules, significant progress has been made in production, with the product mix steadily improving. This paper summarizes and analyzes the basic characteristics and key features of newly registered pesticide products in Hebei from 2019 to 2023, and outlines the trends in pesticide registration and industrial development in the province during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.

1. Basic Information on Newly Registered Pesticide Products in Hebei Province, 2019–2023

According to data from the China Pesticide Information Network, as of the end of 2023, Hebei Province had 144 pesticide-producing enterprises, ranking fourth nationwide. The province held a total of 2,788 valid pesticide registration certificates, accounting for approximately 6% of the national total. These included 251 active‑ingredient (technical grade) registrations, 2,304 field‑use formulation registrations, 189 public‑health insecticide registrations, and 44 registrations restricted to export only. Between 2019 and 2023, Hebei registered 8, 34, 121, 33, and 69 new pesticide products, respectively, for a cumulative total of 265. The years 2019 and 2021 marked the low point and peak, respectively, in the number of newly registered products over the past five years. This pattern can be attributed to the fact that, following the official implementation of the new Regulations, companies did not complete their newly planned trials until 2019–2020; moreover, the time required to initiate the registration process after completing these trials further delayed submissions. Consequently, 2019 saw the lowest number of new registrations, while 2021 reached the highest level.

2. Characteristics and Analysis of Pesticide Registration in Hebei Province, 2019–2023

2.1 Increase in the number of export-registered items only

Currently, pesticide products in China are categorized into domestically registered and export‑only registered types. Over the past decade and more, the policy governing export‑only registration has been continuously updated; in 2020, both the export‑only registration policy and its implementation guidelines were issued, bringing such products under formal registration management. Since the introduction of the export‑only registration policy in 2020, the number of export‑only registrations in Hebei Province has increased year by year, rising from 3 in 2021 to 22 in 2023 (Table 1). From 2021 to 2023, the share of export‑only registered products among all newly registered products was 3%, 52%, and 32%, respectively, clearly indicating a strong upward trend in this category.

Table 1: Domestic/Export Registration Statistics for Pesticide Products in Hebei Province, 2019–2023

2.2 Pesticide Development is Rapid

Statistical results of newly registered pesticide product categories in Hebei Province from 2019 to 2023 (Table 2). As shown in Table 2, the top three categories of newly registered pesticides in Hebei Province during this period were insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Insecticides exhibited a notably rapid growth rate, consistently ranking first and surpassing the combined total of herbicides and fungicides. Over the five-year span, the ratio of the number of insecticide registrations to the number of new registrations in the current year (Figure 1) showed a gradual decline from 2019 to 2021 but remained generally stable at around 35%. In 2022, the share of insecticides surged to 67% and stayed steady in 2023. Analyzing the reasons behind the increase in insecticide registrations, two factors stand out: first, the patent protection for chlorantraniliprole, an environmentally friendly insecticide long pursued by industry players, expired in 2022, prompting pesticide companies to rush to develop and register related products; second, there was a rise in export‑oriented registrations, with over 90% of these being insecticides. The share of herbicides declined steadily from 2019 to 2022, dropping from 38% to 6%, before rebounding slightly in 2023 to 14%, though still below the levels seen in 2021 and earlier. Fungicides peaked at 32% in 2020, then decreased annually, falling to 16% in 2023—roughly unchanged from 2019.

Table 2: Statistical Table of Newly Registered Pesticide Product Categories in Hebei Province, 2019–2023

Figure 1: Proportion of New Registrations for the Three Major Pesticide Categories Relative to the Total Number of Newly Registered Pesticide Products in the Same Year

2.3 The registration interest in the technical grade (parent) active ingredient is relatively low.  

From 2019 to 2023, Hebei Province registered a total of seven active ingredients (technical-grade materials), including three plant growth regulators—among which one is naphthalene‑carboxamide, restricted to export only—two herbicides, and one insecticide and one fungicide each (Table 3). It is evident that active‑ingredient registrations in Hebei have been relatively limited over the past five years, with most registrations concentrated on products that have gained popularity in recent years. The underlying reasons are twofold: first, the costs associated with registering active ingredients are high, prompting companies to hesitate about investing in such registration; second, the pesticide industry has faced challenging market conditions in the past two years, leaving manufacturers reluctant to intensify efforts to register new active ingredients.

Table 3: Newly Registered Active Ingredients (Technical Grades) in Hebei Province, 2019–2023

2.4 Domestic registered mixtures hold a dominant position.

From 2019 to 2023, Hebei Province registered a total of 258 formulated products, including 217 domestic registrations and 41 export‑only registrations. Over the past five years, mixed formulations have overwhelmingly dominated domestic registrations (Figure 2), accounting for more than 57% of all newly registered products each year; in 2022, this share reached a five‑year high of 79%, while the proportion of single‑ingredient formulations declined sharply to just 21%. By contrast, export‑only registrations are almost entirely composed of single‑ingredient products, with their share consistently exceeding 80%; the main product is abamectin/milbemectin benzoate. Export‑only mixed formulations, by contrast, are very few in number.

2.5 The trend toward formulation optimization is evident.

The top ten formulation types of newly registered pesticides in Hebei Province from 2019 to 2023 (Figure 3). Over the five-year period, suspension concentrates accounted for 31.7% of all newly registered products, ranking first; with the exception of 2022 (Figure 4), they represented the largest share of new registrations in each of the other four years. Emulsifiable concentrates ranked second at 11.3%, though it is worth noting that 7.5% of this category was restricted to export‑only registration, resulting in a relatively low domestic registration share of just 3.8%. Water‑dispersible granules came in third, accounting for 9.8%. Granules and soluble concentrates ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, with shares of 8.7% and 7.9%. In summary, environmentally friendly formulations—such as suspension concentrates, water‑dispersible granules, soluble concentrates, and seed‑treatment suspension concentrates—are steadily increasing in share, reflecting a clear trend toward formulation optimization and pointing to these as the primary directions for future registrations.

Figure 2: Proportion of single‑ingredient and combination products among domestically registered and export‑registered formulations, relative to the number of newly registered formulations in the same year.

Figure 3: Top Ten Formulations of Newly Registered Pesticides and Their Share of the Total Number of New Registrations

Figure 4: Number of Registrations for Each Major Dosage Form and the Proportion of Newly Registered Products in the Same Year

2.6 Continuously Increasing Number of Slightly Toxic/Low-Toxicity Products

Toxicity statistics for newly registered pesticide products in Hebei Province, 2019–2023 (Table 4). As shown in Table 4, all 265 pesticide products registered in Hebei over the past five years are classified as slightly toxic, low‑toxicity, or moderately toxic; no highly toxic or acutely toxic products were registered. Slightly toxic and low‑toxicity products account for 90.9%, while moderately toxic products comprise 9.1%; moreover, two-thirds of the moderately toxic products are registered solely for export, with the active ingredients being abamectin or emamectin benzoate. Consequently, moderately toxic pesticides registered domestically over the past five years represent only 3% of the total, which aligns with China’s policy of promoting the registration of highly efficient, low‑toxicity, and biopesticides while restricting the registration of highly toxic and high‑risk pesticides. With the tightening of registration policies and the enhanced oversight of highly toxic and high‑risk pesticides by agricultural authorities at all levels, the composition of pesticide products is expected to improve steadily, thereby advancing the development of green agriculture.

Table 4: Toxicity Statistics of Newly Registered Pesticide Products in Hebei Province, 2019–2023

2.7 Newly registered products for rice rank first, and progress has been made in the registration of minor crops.

From 2019 to 2023, the top ten crops registered for new pesticide products in Hebei Province are listed in Table 5. The four leading crops are all field crops, with rice accounting for the largest share at 11.3% of all new registrations. Corn, cabbage, and wheat rank second, third, and fourth, respectively, together comprising 39.6% of the total. Non‑arable land and indoor crops occupy fifth and sixth place, with shares of 6.4% and 4.9%, respectively. Crops in the fruit and vegetable category—namely citrus trees, apple trees, tomatoes, and potatoes—rank seventh through tenth, collectively accounting for 15.5%. Among the top six crops registered between 2019 and 2023, five overlap with the top six from 2015 to 2019, though their rankings differ slightly: rice, corn, cabbage, wheat, and non‑arable land. This indicates that these crops experience widespread pest and disease pressures and require substantial pesticide use, suggesting they will likely remain the primary focus of registration in the coming years. Meanwhile, registration for minor crops has also made progress, with ten minor‑crop products gaining approval, including applications on six specific crops such as ginger, ornamental roses, chives, and chayote (see Table 6).

Table 5: Ranking of Registered Crops for Newly Registered Pesticide Products in Hebei Province, 2019–2023

Table 6: Registered Products for Minor Crops in Hebei Province, 2019–2023

3. Prospects for Pesticide Registration in Hebei Province

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the next five years will be pivotal for comprehensively advancing rural revitalization and accelerating the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, as well as for achieving high-quality agricultural development. As an essential input for agricultural production, pesticides play a critical role. To firmly promote the high-quality development of the pesticide industry and support rural revitalization and agricultural‑rural modernization, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Hebei Province have respectively issued the “National Pesticide Industry Development Plan for the 14th Five-Year Plan Period” and the “Hebei Province Pesticide Industry Development Implementation Plan (2022–2025).” With these industry‑development plans and policy support, Hebei’s pesticide sector is poised to progressively carry out supply-side structural reform and industrial transformation and upgrading, manifesting in the following key areas.

3.1 Strengthen policy communication and enhance registration capacity.

Hebei Province has a large number of pesticide‑producing enterprises and a substantial pool of registration personnel, yet the level of registration expertise varies considerably. In some cases, certain pesticide products fail to obtain registration because the companies’ registration staff lack a thorough understanding of relevant policies or have an incomplete grasp of the requirements. As the provincial-level preliminary review authority for pesticide registration, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, it is essential to intensify outreach on registration‑related policies, actively disseminate information about specialized training sessions hosted by the Ministry, its affiliated institutes, or relevant industry associations, and encourage registration personnel to participate, thereby helping to enhance their professional competence. At the same time, the mechanism for maintaining liaison with pesticide registration information officers should be fully implemented: first, this will improve the precision, scientific basis, and fairness of pesticide registration management services; second, it will effectively reduce the frequency with which companies need to replace their registration personnel. It is believed that, through targeted professional training provided by the Ministry and its institutes, proactive policy communication at the provincial level, and the active cooperation of enterprises, the capabilities of Hebei’s pesticide registration personnel will steadily improve.

3.2 Leverage the advantages of policy regulation to optimize the industrial layout of the pesticide sector.

Hebei Province’s pesticide enterprises are dispersed and relatively small in scale, with no cohesive, contiguous production clusters having yet emerged. The “Hebei Province Pesticide Industry Development Implementation Plan (2022–2025)” stipulates that, in line with the overall spatial planning of national- and provincial-level chemical and industrial parks, the regulatory role of these parks should be leveraged to facilitate the transformation and upgrading of pesticide producers. Enterprises should be actively encouraged to concentrate within parks that align with industry priorities and have undergone legally compliant environmental impact assessments as part of their development plans. Support will be provided for mergers and reorganizations, consolidating small and medium-sized pesticide manufacturers; a number of smaller firms with outdated technologies will be phased out, while a group of large enterprise conglomerates will be cultivated. This approach aims to shift the sector from quantity‑driven growth toward quality‑enhancement and efficiency gains, gradually addressing the current situation of fragmented, small‑scale operations.

3.3 Accelerate the approval process for green pesticides and continuously optimize the pesticide portfolio.

Hebei Province has a large number of pesticide manufacturers, resulting in intense market competition. Some companies may therefore prioritize producing products that meet mainstream demand and are easy to sell. Among the 2,788 registered products, the top five active ingredients by volume are abamectin, emamectin benzoate, lambda‑cyhalothrin, imidacloprid, and acetamiprid. Products containing these five active ingredients account for 766 entries, or 27.5% of the total registrations, highlighting severe product homogenization. In its “Notice on Promoting the Implementation of Green‑Channel Management Measures for Pesticide Registration and Approval” (No. 78 [2020] of the Department of Pesticide Management, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), the department has accelerated the registration and approval process for biopesticides, alternatives to highly toxic pesticides, and formulations tailored to specialty minor crops. This measure has effectively incentivized enterprises to develop and register environmentally friendly pesticide products, while highly toxic and high‑risk pesticides will be gradually phased out of the market. As a result, the composition of available pesticide varieties is being further optimized, and the issue of product homogenization is improving.

3.4 Fostering an Innovative Environment and Enhancing R&D Capabilities

At present, the pesticide industry in our province receives relatively limited R&D investment, with weak basic research and insufficient momentum for developing new products. The “14th Five-Year Plan for National Pesticide Industry Development” and the “Hebei Province Pesticide Industry Development Implementation Plan (2022–2025)” encourage enterprises to strengthen their innovation capabilities. Against the backdrop of an improved business environment, intellectual property protection has been steadily strengthened, and an innovative climate is gradually taking shape. Moving forward, companies will place greater emphasis on product planning and independent innovation. It is anticipated that, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, more new products will be successfully developed and either registered or granted registration, significantly enhancing the province’s capacity for independent R&D in the pesticide sector, boosting market competitiveness, and thereby driving the transformation, upgrading, and high-quality development of the pesticide industry.

3.5 Continue to advance the registration of minor crops to alleviate the shortage of pesticides for these crops.  

From 2020 to 2023, Hebei Province has conducted joint registration trials for minor‑crop pesticides for three consecutive years, establishing a dedicated fiscal fund to subsidize trial costs. These efforts have covered 25 minor crops, 31 target pests and diseases, 37 active ingredients, and 205 products. Relevant departments and research institutes have organized on‑site, centralized reviews of the trials, and to date, 171 products have passed the review of the National Pesticide Registration Review Committee and have been publicly announced. In addition, seven products have obtained registration through standard applications submitted by their lead enterprises. Moving forward, Hebei Province will continue to strengthen support for the registration of minor‑crop pesticides, increase the level of financial subsidies, create a favorable policy environment, accelerate the registration process, and ensure that minor crops have access to safe and effective pesticides.

3.6 Reduced registration costs for exports only, encouraging more enterprises to engage in related business activities.

Since the introduction of the export‑only registration policy in 2020, the registration costs for products designated for export only have been significantly reduced, and the number of export‑only registrations in Hebei Province has risen year after year. By the end of 2023, Hebei Province had a total of 44 export‑only registered products, but these were concentrated primarily among two companies: Hebei Weiyuan Biochemical Co., Ltd. and Hebei Xingbai Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. Meanwhile, enterprises such as Lansheng Biotechnology Group Co., Ltd., Hebei Sinochem Fuheng Co., Ltd., Cangzhou Yongkuolong Chemical Co., Ltd., and Yanhua Yongle (Leting) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. have actively pursued export registration. It is expected that, during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, more companies will engage in export activities, leading to a substantial increase in the volume of export registrations.

Source: Pesticide Science and Management Issue 6, 2024