Market Trends of india insecticide Industry
The rising need to protect the crops from harmful insects and improve production may fuel the consumption of insecticides during the forecast period
- India has a diverse range of agro-climatic conditions, which can contribute to the prevalence of various insects. Insects such as stink bugs, loopers, armyworms, aphids, and whiteflies can cause major crop losses if not successfully handled. To protect crops from such insects, farmers are resorting to increased insecticide use. The consumption of insecticides in India per hectare experienced an increase of 0.5% from 2021 to 2022. Insecticide usage per capita in India increased to boost the average agricultural output per hectare.
- The consumption of insecticides in India per hectare in 2022 accounted for 151.9 g/ha. This is attributed to the cultivation of a wide range of crops, including staple food grains, like rice and wheat, and cash crops, like cotton, sugarcane, and vegetables. It is critical to protect these crops against insects to maintain yields.
- India has a total of 173 invasive species, including 47 invasive agricultural ecosystem species, 23 of which are insects. These invasive insects contribute to the need for increased pesticide use. Furthermore, the development of insect resistance to certain insecticides is a rising problem. Insects can evolve and develop resistance to the effects of particular pesticides over time, making them less effective. To achieve the necessary degree of pest control, larger application rates or more frequent usage of insecticides are required, increasing the consumption of insecticide.
- India aims to boost agricultural output to meet rising food demand. Insecticides serve an important role in increasing agricultural yields by protecting plants from pests that might disrupt output. The necessity to fulfill the population's food requirements drives the reliance on pesticides.
The growing demand for insecticides owing to the increasing pest attack and crop losses.
- Cypermethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid used to control flea beetles, boxelder bugs, cockroaches, termites, ladybugs, scorpions, and yellow jackets. It was priced at USD 21.0 thousand in 2022. In India, cypermethrin is registered by CIBRC for use in eight specified crops, such as cabbage, wheat, cotton, rice, sugarcane, brinjal, sunflower, and okra.
- Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid, which is a class of neuroactive insecticides. It can be used as a spray for the control of sucking and other insects, such as thrips, aphids, jassids, brown plant hoppers, and white-backed plant hoppers, in different crops, like cotton, paddy, sugarcane, mango, groundnut, grapes, chilies, and tomato, in India. In 2022, imidacloprid was priced at USD 17.1 thousand in India.
- Malathion is an organophosphate insecticide, which was valued at USD 12.5 thousand in 2022. It is used to control aphids, thrips, mites, scales, borers, worms, leaf miners, fleas, grasshoppers, bugs, and maggots. As per guidelines of CIBRC, malathion is permitted to be used only in sorghum, pea, soybean, castor, sunflower, bhindi, brinjal, cauliflower, radish, turnip, tomato, apple, mango, and grape crops.
- According to the Government of India statistics, about 15 to 25% of crops are lost due to pests every year. Indian farmers' major concern is safeguarding their crops from pests. For instance, according to the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, tomato farmers across the country lose up to 65% of their yields to fruit borers every year. The infestation of the pest leads to flower dropping and poor plant health, resulting in poor quality fruiting, thus adversely impacting crop yields. All these factors will influence the demand for insecticides, which will further affect their prices.