Rising pesticide prices became a defining trend in the agricultural inputs sector in 2018, and high prices may persist into 2019.

Release Date:

2018-10-16

Since the end of last year, many pesticide manufacturers that failed to meet environmental‑impact‑assessment standards have been shut down or converted, directly driving up pesticide prices. “Pesticide price hikes” thus became a defining keyword in the agricultural‑inputs sector in 2018. According to reports, influenced by policy changes, pesticide prices are likely to remain elevated in 2019, prompting farmers to adopt cost‑saving measures such as purchasing higher‑quality products and partnering with professional application teams. Pesticide price increases emerged as a key theme in the agricultural‑inputs industry in 2018, and they may continue to stay at high levels in 2019. Su Xiang, a pesticide distributor in Hanshan County, Anhui Province, noted that since the beginning of this year, prices have risen across all product categories, with…

　　Since the end of last year, many projects have failed to meet environmental impact assessment standards. Pesticide Production enterprises were shut down, merged, or converted, directly resulting in… Pesticide The rise in prices, “ Pesticide “Price hikes” also became a key buzzword in the agricultural inputs sector in 2018. According to reports, influenced by policy changes, in 2019… Pesticide Prices may still remain high, but farmers can reduce costs by purchasing high-quality pesticides and engaging professional application teams.
　　 Pesticide Price hikes became the defining trend in the agricultural inputs sector in 2018, and high prices may persist into 2019.
　　of Hanshan County, Anhui Province Pesticide Dealer Su Xiang stated that, since the beginning of this year, Pesticide Price increases were observed across all product categories, with herbicides experiencing the largest hikes. He said, “Starting this year, all…” Pesticide Product prices have all risen to some extent. Herbicides have seen the sharpest increases, with average price hikes exceeding 10%.
　　According to relevant data, compared with prices during the same period in previous years, commonly available on the market… Pesticide Price increases averaged over 30%, with some categories seeing rises exceeding 100%. Meanwhile, Pesticide The prices of active ingredients have also risen sharply. Looking at specific product categories, among herbicides, prices remained relatively stable last week; however, a few manufacturers reported low operating rates and severe shortages, prompting further price hikes, while overall market turnover remained subdued. Meanwhile, insecticides stayed at elevated levels, with weak sales volumes and firm pricing; some products faced acute supply constraints, further dampening market activity. As for fungicides, the sector demonstrated strong performance, with most products maintaining high price levels.
　　Industry analysts attribute the price increase primarily to environmental considerations: first, there is a shortage of upstream intermediate supplies, Pesticide Production enterprises have no raw materials available, making it difficult to maintain normal operations and leading to a reduction in supply. Secondly, this has an impact… Pesticide The operating rate of the manufacturing enterprise itself, due to factors attributable to the enterprise. Pesticide Product manufacturing is unable to operate normally, thereby affecting output. At present, most domestic… Pesticide The increases in product prices are largely driven by supply-side factors.
　　In recent years, Pesticide 、 Fertilizer As the prices of agricultural inputs have continued to rise, planting costs have increased, placing considerable pressure on farmers. Su Xiang stated that, in… Pesticide With prices on the rise, overall sales in the store have shown a noticeable decline. He said, “Sales have dropped, and fewer people are buying. Some farmers, seeing prices go up, have stopped farming altogether.” As for farmers’ attitudes toward… Pesticide In terms of choice, Su Xiang believes that by purchasing high-quality, efficient… Pesticide , which can improve utilization efficiency, including imports Pesticide Within this context, although the prices of certain varieties are relatively high, overall usage can still be reduced, thereby achieving the goal of lowering costs. “Now, some imported products, though more expensive, deliver better results. Judging by sales volume, imports…” Pesticide More popular. Of course, domestically Pesticide In terms of price, compared with overseas… Pesticide It still has a significant advantage. Farmers are not required to opt exclusively for imported, high-end options. Pesticide Product.”
　　In addition, Su Xiang also advises farmers to contact agricultural input service providers to apply… Pesticide Operated by a professional team, it can also help reduce costs. “Engaging a specialized team for technical services enables more precise medication administration, minimizing waste and lowering drug usage.”
　　Looking ahead to 2019, industry insiders believe that, Pesticide Prices will remain high. At present, the elevated prices of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) have placed significant cost pressures on domestic formulation manufacturers; however, stringent environmental regulations upstream and a large backlog of outstanding orders prevent API producers from readily adjusting their ex‑factory prices. With the recent pass‑through of rising costs for crude oil, natural gas, and other basic chemical feedstocks, ex‑factory prices are bound to stay at historically high levels in the near term. Certain new‑type… Pesticide As production capacity continues to expand and market supply steadily increases, the price of the active ingredient is expected to remain stable. Based on… Pesticide There is a shelf life; distributors may stock up slightly in advance, but should avoid bulk purchases.