Unveiling the Deceptive Tactics of Fake Pesticides: Recognize the Scams and Counter Them Effectively

　　It’s once again peak season for medication use, and counterfeit and substandard drugs have been reported in many regions. Pesticide Incidents of harming farmers and damaging agriculture. Pesticide Anti-counterfeiting efforts have been ongoing for years, yet farmers are still duped every year—because of the production and sale of counterfeit goods. Pesticide The methods and channels have changed.
　　The reporter used seven typical cases of counterfeit and substandard products. Pesticide Analysis of the case “Original Sin,” with the hope that… Pesticide Users, especially farmers, should be able to identify counterfeit and substandard products. Pesticide the “tricks” and counter‑measures to avoid being deceived. At the same time, for those who are still manufacturing and selling counterfeit or substandard products… Pesticide A warning to enterprises and distributors: the 2017 revised edition of… Pesticide The Management Regulations have been promulgated, Pesticide Production and business operations are now subject to stricter regulations, with enforcement becoming more focused and stringent; anyone who fails to desist will inevitably face the consequences.
　　Tactic One: Deception Through Falsehood
　　Current Pesticide The forgery techniques are “highly sophisticated.”
　　Recently, Bayer’s anti-counterfeiting team, in collaboration with public security authorities, dismantled an illicit counterfeit‑manufacturing and sales operation based in Henan Province, arresting one suspect and seizing a wide array of fake products bearing the names of Bayer, DowDuPont, Syngenta, and others—including Bayer’s Antaris, Tilt Pro, and Methyl Tiofate. Investigations revealed that the operation possessed substantial production capacity and employed sophisticated packaging techniques, producing goods virtually indistinguishable from genuine Bayer products.
　　Moreover, last September, the Gulou Public Security Sub-bureau in Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, also cracked a similar case involving the production and sale of counterfeit goods. Pesticide Case. Upon investigation, it was found that the suspect purchased inexpensive fungicides and lightweight calcium carbonate, among other products, and used them to counterfeit pesticides bearing the trademarks of DuPont, Syngenta, Bayer, and several other brands. The counterfeit products seized in this case… Pesticide The outer packaging is highly realistic; some even bear anti-counterfeiting codes, while others are sold with scratch-off codes and come with genuine instruction manuals, making them virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. The counterfeit products seized this time include well-known brands such as Kangkuan, Ami Miaoshou, and Nadiwen, among others. Pesticide Products. The case seized counterfeit branded items. Pesticide Approximately 100,000 bags, with a total value of up to one million yuan, and four criminal suspects were apprehended.
　　Tactic Two: Operating Across the Entire Criminal Chain
　　Alongside small clandestine operations, tiny workshops, and the practice of manufacturing and selling counterfeits only to move on to another location after a single hit. Pesticide The modus operandi varies; in recent years, many high-profile cases that have been cracked have already taken on a counterfeit appearance. Pesticide The operation spans the entire supply chain—production, transportation, and distribution—and the crime scenes are scattered across multiple provinces and municipalities, making the case highly complex and intertwined.
　　In July 2017, the Harbin Railway Public Security Bureau cracked a major case involving the production and sale of counterfeit goods, known as the “April 8” case. Pesticide This case is a typical example. Officers from the Harbin Railway Public Security Bureau and the Inland Port Police Station, during an inspection and crackdown, discovered that numerous logistics companies within the port area were transporting and storing large quantities of… Pesticide The outer packaging is extremely crude, and the product is suspected to be counterfeit or substandard.
　　The investigator is investigating the inland port involved in this… Pesticide A field visit to six logistics companies revealed that one, named Kuaida Logistics, handles the largest volume of shipments. Testing showed that the six types of goods carried by this logistics company… Pesticide All were substandard products. Further investigation by the investigators revealed that Kuaida Logistics had transported counterfeit and substandard goods. Pesticide It is divided into two types: mountain pine and enoxypine. Pesticide After arriving at Kuaida Logistics, the goods were redistributed through other logistics companies and primarily sold throughout Heilongjiang Province. Further investigation by investigators revealed that the counterfeit and substandard products involved… Pesticide All were produced on behalf of Shandong Lanzhi Zhongzhi Seed Industry Technology Development Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Lanzhi Company”) by Shenwei Agricultural Science and Technology Co., Ltd., which maintains a self-built factory in Beijing. Beijing Zhongnong Yanchuang High-Tech Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Zhongnong Yanchuang Company”) is, as a counterfeit or substandard… Pesticide The agents are responsible for sales and submit shipping requests separately to Shenwei Company and Lan’s Company, with the aforementioned two companies then… Pesticide Shipped to Kuaida Logistics, which then, based on the distribution details provided by Zhongnong Yanchuang Company, uses other logistics services to deliver counterfeit and substandard products. Pesticide It is then distributed to distributors across the province.
　　During the investigation, eight suspects were apprehended in Beijing, Zaozhuang, Harbin, and other locations, and counterfeit and substandard goods were seized. Pesticide Over 4,000 cartons; two counterfeit‑manufacturing facilities in Zaozhuang, Shandong, and Beijing were dismantled, and substandard and fake products were seized. Pesticide Over 4,000 cartons; verified as counterfeit and substandard goods involved in the case. Pesticide Worth over 30 million yuan.
　　Tactic Three: Adding Hidden Ingredients
　　Adding implicit components is Pesticide One of the key methods used in counterfeiting—particularly after July 1, 2016, when the state banned the domestic sale and use of paraquat aqueous formulations—has been the production of counterfeit and substandard paraquat products. Pesticide The “popular” ingredient added covertly.
　　Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, 2017 Pesticide The results of random inspections reveal a significant issue of illegal paraquat adulteration. Among the 197 samples of non-selective herbicide aqueous formulations tested, 17 were found to contain illegally added paraquat active ingredient, accounting for 8.6%. Specifically, out of 84 diquat‑based aqueous formulations, 15 were found to be illegally adulterated with paraquat, representing 17.9%.
　　Several provinces and cities have repeatedly organized campaigns to ban or restrict the use of paraquat. Pesticide Despite large-scale inspections and rectification campaigns, violations involving personal risk continue to recur despite repeated prohibitions. Recently, the Agricultural Bureau of Ningxiang City, Hunan Province, published an administrative penalty decision that included such a case: Le Tian in Baimaqiao Township, Ningxiang City. Pesticide The “Huolao Ying” brand diquat product marketed by the Operations Department is labeled as being manufactured by Guangxi Huifeng Biotechnology Co., Ltd., with an active ingredient content of 200 g/L diquat. A sample has been submitted to Hunan Province. Fertilizer Pesticide According to the inspection conducted by the authorized quality supervision and testing station, diquat was not detected; this… Pesticide The ingredient is paraquat.
　　With chemistry Pesticide In comparison, biology Pesticide They often require large doses, deliver slow results, and are relatively expensive. To boost sales, some operators in the biotechnology sector… Pesticide China illegally adds chlorantraniliprole, lambda-cyhalothrin, and other highly effective substances. Pesticide , as well as banned or restricted chemicals such as carbofuran, fipronil, and isocarbophos. Pesticide 。
　　Among the ten typical cases of agricultural input counterfeiting investigated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2016, the Agricultural Bureau of Zengdu District, Suizhou City, Hubei Province, uncovered that Shanxi Meiyuan Chemical Co., Ltd. had manufactured and sold counterfeit products. Pesticide This is one such case. The Agricultural Law Enforcement Brigade of Zengdu District, Suizhou City, received a report from Qipanshan Zhongxing Tea Industry Co., Ltd., alleging that the tea it cultivates was treated with a 0.5% matrine aqueous solution sold by Mr. Dai at the Xiangtang Street Comprehensive Service Station of Hedian Supply and Marketing Cooperative in Zengdu District. Pesticide Subsequently, acetamiprid was detected, rendering the tea ineligible for export and resulting in direct economic losses of RMB 3.39 million. According to the test results, the case involves… Pesticide Contains the unlabeled ingredient acetamiprid. Upon investigation, this batch… Pesticide Produced and marketed by Shanxi Meiyuan Chemical Co., Ltd.
　　Tactic Four: Counterfeit Sellers Target the Online Marketplace
　　E-commerce platforms, QQ groups, WeChat groups, and other online channels are increasingly being used to sell counterfeit and substandard goods. Pesticide A severe disaster zone. Online sales of counterfeit and substandard goods. Pesticide They are often significantly cheaper than the genuine articles, leaving some retailers and farmers who chase small profits duped.
　　In 2017, BASF’s Crop Protection division assisted law enforcement authorities in handling a case involving the sale of counterfeit BASF Baitai by a retail outlet. The retailer, believing Baitai to be highly popular, purchased the product at a low price through a major online platform. Upon examining the packaging, the “online‑sold Baitai” appeared virtually indistinguishable from the genuine product, making it difficult for ordinary consumers to tell them apart. Dissolution tests conducted by BASF staff, comparing the “online‑sold Baitai” with a genuine BASF Baitai sample, revealed significant differences in color, quality, and stability. Further investigation by BASF into the production batch number marked on the product packaging confirmed that this batch was counterfeit. Laboratory analysis showed that the “online‑sold Baitai” contained zero active ingredient. As a result, the retailer not only suffered direct financial losses but also caused farmers to miss the optimal window for application.
　　Meanwhile, the Xuzhou Gulou Public Security Sub-bureau in Jiangsu Province, mentioned earlier, has cracked a case involving the production and sale of counterfeit goods. Pesticide In this case, the internet also served as a major channel for selling counterfeit goods. Counterfeit and substandard products… Pesticide There are three sales channels: the suspect sells retail through an online store on Taobao at prices comparable to those of genuine products; the suspect joins agricultural‑input QQ groups and sends mass advertisements, waiting for buyers to take the bait; and the suspect wholesales to small distributors at 30%–50% of the price of authentic goods.
　　Tactic Five: Public Infringement at Trade Shows
　　Manufacturing and selling counterfeit goods Pesticide They often know they are in the wrong and act with humility, but in some recent cases, certain individuals have been manufacturing and selling counterfeit and substandard products. Pesticide The company even took advantage of trade shows and other events to launch public promotional campaigns.
　　Jiangsu Province Pesticide The Research Institute Co., Ltd. encountered just such an incident. Cyazofamid is a novel fungicide independently developed by the company and protected by its own intellectual property rights, used for the control of… Wheat The efficacy of its products against scab and rice bakanae disease has been recognized by the market, and no comparable products exist domestically or internationally. At an industry trade show in 2016, the company discovered that a booth belonging to “U.S. Frank Biotechnology (Xi’an) Co., Ltd.” was marketing a formulated product containing cyproconazole. Cyproconazole has remained under patent protection and had not been licensed to this company. Jiangsu Province Pesticide The Research Institute Co., Ltd. immediately collected on-site evidence and initiated legal proceedings.
　　Tactic Six: Cross-Border Sales
　　In recent years, customs authorities have intercepted counterfeit and substandard goods destined for export. Pesticide Such cases do occur from time to time. The head of a certain multinational corporation told reporters that the company seizes Chinese-made counterfeit goods overseas every year. Pesticide There are hundreds of tons. Over the past two years, the most representative case is the “Ningbo March 31” mega‑scale cross‑border production and sale of counterfeit registered trademarks. Pesticide “Case,” which has been dubbed the agrochemical‑industry equivalent of “Operation Mekong.” The investigation garnered high attention from the Ministry of Public Security and was recognized by the China Foreign-Invested Enterprises Association as one of the “Top Ten Cases in Intellectual Property Protection.”
　　In March 2016, Ningbo Customs discovered counterfeit branded goods being exported to Cambodia during routine inspections. Pesticide Based on leads, the Economic Investigation Detachment of the Ningbo Municipal Public Security Bureau, leveraging big data analysis and meticulous offline investigations—and with support from Alibaba’s Platform Governance Department—unraveled the case layer by layer, dismantling three domestic counterfeit‑production hubs, seizing seven filling machines, and destroying nine counterfeit‑manufacturing assembly lines. In July 2016, during the “Mekong River Sword” cross‑border operation to combat intellectual property crimes, authorities apprehended Qiu XX, a key suspect in the “Fox Hunt” campaign who had been hiding in a Southeast Asian country. A large-scale counterfeit‑storage facility operated for years by this criminal syndicate was jointly destroyed by police forces from both countries. Through coordinated efforts across multiple departments, spanning jurisdictions and national borders, authorities seized counterfeit products bearing international brand names. Pesticide Over 25 tons, various types of counterfeit goods Pesticide More than 2 million registered trademark marks have been identified, with the total value of the crimes involved exceeding RMB 16.5 million.
　　Trick Seven: Selling Medicines Beyond the Authorized Scope
　　The 2017 revised edition of “ Pesticide The Regulations on Management… Pesticide The operation and use have been standardized. The new regulations stipulate: “ Pesticide Users shall strictly comply with Pesticide Scope of use, methods of application and dosage, technical requirements for use, and precautions for label labeling. Pesticide “…shall not be used beyond the approved scope, at higher doses, or by altered routes of administration.”
　　Recently, a dealer in Chongqing has been selling products beyond the approved crop categories. Pesticide , was determined to be selling counterfeit goods Pesticide A grape grower in Chongqing purchased a metalaxyl‑manganese zinc fungicide from distributor Mao to control grape diseases. After applying the product according to the recommended dilution ratio, the disease not only failed to improve but also resulted in grape rot and fruit drop, causing losses of 1,500 kilograms. Unable to resolve the issue through communication with the distributor, the farmer brought the case before the court. Upon investigation, it was found that the outer packaging of the metalaxyl‑manganese zinc fungicide indicated cucumbers as the target crop and downy mildew as the intended disease to be controlled. A small pictogram on the packaging depicted grape downy mildew, while the inner sachet included usage instructions specifying treatment of grape downy mildew. However, the product’s registration information listed only cucumbers as an eligible crop. The court determined that the fungicide sold by Mao… Pesticide Metalaxyl-manganese zinc fungicide is specifically formulated for grapevines. Pesticide and for selling products that exceed the scope of pest control registered with the competent authority Pesticide If damage is caused to crops planted by farmers, the responsible party shall bear tort liability. The court, in accordance with the law, ruled that Mr. Mao shall compensate for economic losses in the amount of RMB 12,000.

Source: Agricultural Inputs Herald