Current Status and Analysis of the Pesticide Industry in Inner Mongolia

Pesticides are essential agricultural inputs, widely used in agriculture, forestry, public health, and other sectors to control harmful organisms, thereby playing a critical role in ensuring food security, the safety of agricultural products, and environmental protection. Since the implementation of the newly revised Regulations on the Administration of Pesticides in 2017, Inner Mongolia has focused on strengthening the management of pesticide production licensing, rigorously standardizing approval procedures, and enhancing oversight throughout the pre‑, in‑, and post‑approval phases, continuously promoting the transformation and upgrading of the pesticide industry.

1. Status of Pesticide Production Licensing Management

1.1 Strengthen standardized approval processes

In 2017, following the promulgation and implementation of the newly revised Regulations on the Administration of Pesticides and their accompanying rules, the General Office of the People’s Government of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region issued the “Notice of the General Office of the People’s Government of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Forwarding the Implementation Opinions of the Autonomous Region’s Department of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry on Further Strengthening Pesticide Management in Our Region,” thereby comprehensively planning and deploying pesticide‑management-related work throughout the region. The Autonomous Region’s Department of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry appointed a panel of experts—drawn from national and regional authorities in chemical production, quality control, pesticide management, and plant protection technologies—to serve as a review panel for production‑license applications. It also issued documents such as the “Work Rules for Pesticide‑Management Experts of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region” and the “Code of Conduct for Experts Reviewing Pesticide Production Licenses,” ensuring that pesticide‑production‑license reviews are conducted in accordance with the law, on a scientific basis, and with impartiality, thus standardizing administrative licensing procedures.

1.2 Optimizing the Approval Process

In accordance with the national “delegation, regulation, and service” reform requirements, we have continuously improved and advanced the pesticide production licensing process. Administrative licensing for pesticides is conducted in a transparent manner, integrated into the “Inner Mongolia Internet Plus Government Services” platform, and fully digitized through online applications. We have formulated the “Guidelines for Production Licensing,” clearly defining workflows and requirements, and rigorously manage all stages—acceptance and registration of enterprise application materials, review and acceptance, document examination, technical evaluation, on-site verification, public announcement of results, approval decisions, online publication, and certificate issuance—ensuring that each step is assigned to a dedicated officer and that enterprises receive patient, thorough guidance and clarification. The approval process and outcomes are promptly made public on the official portal, enabling end-to-end online processing, real-time progress tracking, SMS notifications, and other features, thereby ensuring that licensing and approval procedures are standardized, transparent, and open to public oversight.

1.3 Enhancing Work Performance

By organizing training sessions on pesticide production licensing, we provided regulatory‑compliance and hands‑on instruction to members of the expert panel, pesticide manufacturers in Inner Mongolia, and pesticide management officials at all levels within the region, thereby enhancing the professional competence of relevant personnel. During the technical review of the first batch of pesticide production license applications, we invited leading authorities in pesticide regulation to attend in person to offer guidance and address questions. In light of identified gaps and inaccuracies in understanding and application of the Regulations on Pesticide Management and its supporting rules, we conducted a thorough and detailed analysis of the entire pesticide production licensing process. Through precise policy interpretation, continuous learning, and ongoing discussions, we ensured the smooth and effective implementation of the licensing procedure.

1.4 Strengthen Post-Approval Supervision

Conduct “double-random, one-public” supervisory spot checks; publicly notify and legally investigate pesticide manufacturers suspected of violations, thereby standardizing their production and business practices and reducing pesticide quality and safety risks at the source. The Autonomous Region’s Department of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry has organized, on multiple occasions, three-tiered joint inspection teams comprising pesticide‑production licensing experts and officials from league‑level, city‑level, and banner‑county agricultural and animal husbandry authorities to carry out on-site verification and safety‑production inspections of all pesticide manufacturers within the region. These inspections rigorously assess safety‑production facilities and equipment, management systems, qualifications of personnel, safety‑protection measures, and standardized operating procedures, ensuring firm control over safety‑production management and minimizing the potential for accidents, risks, and likelihoods of such incidents. Furthermore, the principal responsibility for safety production is firmly established, with pesticide producers and operators urged to conscientiously fulfill their statutory duties and obligations, institute and strictly enforce a safety‑production accountability system and relevant regulations, and strengthen efforts to identify and address potential hazards as well as to provide ongoing training and education.

2 Current Status of Pesticide Industry Development

Prior to the implementation of the newly revised Regulations on the Administration of Pesticides in 2017 (hereinafter referred to as the “Regulations”), Inner Mongolia was home to 11 pesticide-producing enterprises, including nine chemical‑pesticide firms and two non‑chemical‑pesticide companies. Among these, five produced only active ingredients, five manufactured both active ingredients and formulated products, and one specialized solely in formulation. Following the 2017 revision of the Regulations—and particularly as environmental and safety standards were progressively tightened—the entry threshold for industrial parks was significantly raised. Consequently, the pesticide industry in eastern regions and elsewhere accelerated capacity consolidation and restructuring, with provinces such as Shandong and Jiangsu successively shutting down large numbers of chemical enterprises. Under these circumstances, pesticide producers, seeking to expand production and scale up operations, began re‑planning their layouts. Taking advantage of its vast development space, substantial market potential, and distinctive resource endowments, Inner Mongolia’s local government introduced favorable policies, actively pursued investment promotion, and attracted a number of pesticide manufacturers to establish operations within the region.

As of now, the region is home to 25 pesticide-producing enterprises, including 16 that manufacture only active ingredients, 5 that produce both active ingredients and formulated products, and 4 that specialize in formulated pesticides. Among the 14 newly established companies, 11 are dedicated to producing active ingredients, and all are chemical‑pesticide manufacturers. Of these, two were relocated from Beijing and Tianjin, while the remaining new entrants are controlled and invested in by companies from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei, Hebei, and other provinces, with most concentrated in the Alashan High‑Tech Industrial Development Zone and the Wuhai High‑Tech Industrial Development Zone.

Figure 1: Proportion of Pesticide Manufacturers Across the Region

Currently, the entire region holds 215 valid pesticide registration certificates. By active ingredient and formulation type, there are 161 active ingredients (including technical-grade materials), accounting for 74.9%, and 54 formulated products, accounting for 25.1%. By pesticide category, insecticides and acaricides number 80, or 37.2%; fungicides total 51, or 23.7%; herbicides comprise 68, or 31.7%; plant growth regulators account for 5, or 2.3%; and other categories include 11, or 5.1%.

Figure 2: Classification of Pesticide Registration Certificates

According to production‑schedule data from pesticide manufacturers in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, in 2020 the region’s total pesticide output reached 30,500 tons, with 29,900 tons of active ingredients—accounting for approximately 98% of the total—and 590 tons of formulated products, representing about 2%. In 2021, regional pesticide production increased to 60,900 tons, comprising 57,700 tons of active ingredients—roughly 94.7% of the total—and 3,200 tons of formulated products, or about 5.3%. Among active‑ingredient products, herbicides accounted for 30,600 tons, roughly 50% of the total active‑ingredient output, capturing nearly half of the market, while insecticides and fungicides combined totaled 25,000 tons.

Figure 3: Pesticide Production Output for the Entire Region

3 Current Status and Development Trends of Chemical Industrial Parks

3.1 Overall Current Situation

Pesticide-producing enterprises across the region are primarily concentrated in eight industrial parks located in six leagues and cities—Alxa League, Wuhai City, Bayannur City, Ordos City, Chifeng City, and Hohhot City—with an入园 rate of 92%. The two enterprises not situated within these parks were existing pesticide producers in the region prior to the implementation of the new Regulations on the Administration of Pesticides; one of them has since been incorporated into the local park development plan. The Alxa High‑Tech Industrial Development Zone, located in western Inner Mongolia, was established in 1997 as a key autonomous‑region‑level industrial development zone. It is also the region’s most comprehensive industrial park, bringing together a wide array of production factors. With a planned control area of 54.5 square kilometers and a total population exceeding 30,000, the zone is situated in Wusitai Town and hosts nine pesticide‑producing enterprises, making it the region’s principal concentration of such businesses.

3.2 Development Status of the Alashan High-Tech Industrial Development Zone

3.2.1 Geographical Location is Unique

The Alashan High-Tech Industrial Development Zone is located on the west bank of the Yellow River, with the river flowing just 6 km away. It sits at the intersection of China’s western “Hohhot–Baotou–Yinchuan–Lanzhou” economic corridor and the Ordos–Wuhai–Alashan “small golden triangle.” The zone is a major transportation hub where the Baotou–Lanzhou Railway, the Wuhai–Jiayuguan Railway, National Highway G6, the Wuhai–Alashan First-Class Highway, and National Highway 110 converge. It is 150 km from Yinchuan Airport and 50 km from Wuhai Airport.

3.2.2 A Strengthening Industrial Base

The Alashan High-Tech Industrial Development Zone has gradually established an overall spatial layout comprising the Ulanbuhhe Industrial Park, the Bayin’ao Bao Industrial Park, and the Helan District—referred to as “Two Parks and One District.” Currently, the zone hosts a total of 255 industrial enterprises, including 71 large-scale industrial firms, with over 380 types of major industrial products. The output value of high-tech enterprises accounts for 38.6% of the zone’s total industrial output.

3.2.3 Strong Growth Momentum

Centering on extending the industrial chain, upgrading the value chain, and expanding the supply chain, a number of technologically advanced, distinctly characterized, and highly competitive industrial projects and innovation platforms have been established, thereby forming a circular industrial system led by salt‑chemicals, coal‑chemicals, fine chemicals, and strategic emerging industries. The park has been designated by the autonomous region as one of the first batch of eco‑industrial park demonstration sites and a circular economy industrial demonstration park; it is also among the top ten industrial development zones in the region, a high‑tech industrial development zone, and one of the first batch of new‑type industrialization demonstration bases across the region. It has now been included on the 2021 national list for inspection of high‑tech zones, with plans to promote their upgrading through assessment.

In 2020, the development zone achieved a regional gross domestic product of RMB 11.23 billion, up 7% year on year; fixed asset investment totaled RMB 5.08 billion, an increase of 15.5% over the previous year, placing it among the fastest-growing areas in the region and ranking first across the league; total fiscal revenue reached RMB 1.77 billion, up 4.79% year on year; industrial value added amounted to RMB 8.19 billion, up 14.1% year on year; and general public budget revenue stood at RMB 830 million, up 11.1% year on year.

4 Issues and Recommendations

4.1 The institutional structure and staffing are not aligned with pesticide management responsibilities, posing new challenges to the full implementation of duties.

Strengthening post‑market oversight is both a key component of implementing the pesticide production licensing system and a critical means of ensuring that enterprises consistently meet production‑condition requirements and maintain product quality. It stands at the heart of pesticide licensing administration, yet it also remains a weak link. As the competent authority for pesticide regulation, it is essential to develop long‑term management mechanisms, enhance policy interpretation and professional training, improve overall competence in pesticide management, continuously raise operational capacity and standards, and further reinforce regulatory responsibilities.

4.2 The irrational structure of the pesticide industry is inconsistent with the requirements for high-quality development, posing new challenges to industrial transformation and upgrading.

Guided by the goal of ensuring the quality and safety of agricultural products, we must firmly embrace the concept of green development, optimize the structure of pesticide products, and urgently strengthen strategic planning and guidance while introducing favorable policies to encourage enterprises to invest in research and innovation, developing more low‑toxicity, low‑risk, and environmentally friendly pesticides. This will facilitate the transformation and upgrading of the industry and align with the demands of green agricultural development in the new era.

4.3 The safety risks of pesticide enterprises are not commensurate with their regulatory capacity, posing new challenges to the fulfillment of regulatory responsibilities.

Throughout the region, active‑ingredient manufacturers dominate the sector, with complex production processes and elevated safety and environmental risks. It is encouraged and supported that pesticide producers adopt advanced technologies and cutting‑edge management practices to enhance product quality and workplace safety, gradually phasing out outdated, high‑pollution, high‑risk capacity, and facilitating the transformation and upgrading of the industry. Enterprises are urged to pursue mergers and reorganizations, continuously strengthen their innovation capabilities, adjust their development strategies, optimize industrial structure, and foster a group of enterprise clusters with core competitiveness. Furthermore, strategic research on the development of the pesticide industry should be intensified, production layouts refined, uncontrolled relocation and expansion as well as redundant construction curbed, and entry barriers for new entrants raised.

Source: Pesticide Science and Management, Issue 6, 2022.

Authors: Wang Ying1, Gao Hongyu1, Wu Xingyu1, Zhang Shuijun1, Duan Junlei1, Guo Xiaoqing1, Yang Jifeng2, Saqiranggui1* (1. Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Agricultural and Pastoral Technology Extension Center; 2. Hinggan League Institute of Agricultural and Pastoral Sciences)