China’s five largest pesticide registrations in 2024: Chlorantraniliprole, clothianidin, bifenthrin, glufosinate-P and emamectin

In 2024, China’s pesticide registration has progressed remarkably in respect of policymaking, regulation and digitalization, with product registration being more diversified and product structure being more optimized. In the meantime, the product registration was faced with new challenges. This article reviews and analyzes the pesticide registration status in China in the year of 2024, so as to provide an insight into the pesticide registration development covering characteristics, administration and management service related to pesticide registration. 

01

Pesticide Registration

In 2024, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced twice pesticide registration approvals (Ref No. 771 and No. 827), with grant of 10 novel active ingredient registrations and 17 novel pesticide registrations, release of 21 publications of pesticide registration information, grant of registration of 2,621 pesticide product registrations (inclusive of export-only registrations), 1,919 pesticide registration changes, and 9,340 pesticide registration extension.

1.1  Number of Registrations

Up to December 31, 2024, there were 47,480 valid pesticide registrations in China (exclusive of export-only products, the same below). In 2014, 2,488 pesticide registrations were granted, including 2,325 formulations and 163 technical products. The pesticide registrations in 2024 were mainly formulations, with a total of 22 types of formulations. The top five formulation registrations were SC, SL, EC, OD and GR, the number of which was 948, 272, 222, 204 and 182, at a respective increase of 582, 137, 141, 96 and 123 over 2023; the top five formulation types accounted for 78.6% of the total number of formulation registrations, an increase of 2.2% over 2023 (Table 1).

Table 1   Top 5 formulation registrations in past 2 years

1.2  Category of Registrations

Among the pesticides registered in 2024, 876 are insecticides, 772 are herbicides, 471 are fungicides, 222 are plant growth regulators, 110 are sanitary insecticides, and 37 are others. The three categories, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides accounted for about 85% of the total registrations (Figure 1).

Figure 1   Proportion of categories of registrations in 2024

1.3  Active Ingredients

In 2024, 10 novel active ingredients were granted registration for the first time, including 3 chemical pesticides which were flufenoximacil, pyraquinate, flusulfinam, 3 biochemical pesticides which were (E)-tetradec-12-enyl acetate, myristyl acetate, (Z)-12-Tetradecen-1-ol acetate) and 4 microbial pesticides which were Nosema locustae AL200801, Paenibacillus polymyxa P1, bacillus amyloliquefaciens Xl 96-3, bacillus amyloliquefaciens KN-527. Among the 17 novel pesticide registrations, there were 10 biological pesticides accounting for 47.1%.

The top five active ingredient registrations in 2024 were chlorantraniliprole, clothianidin, bifenthrin, glufosinate-P and emamectin, respectively with 245, 185, 113, 101 and 96 registrations. 

In 2024, the top five technical product (TK) registrations were chlorantraniliprole, glufosinate-P, prothioconazole, tembotrions and pinoxaden, with 24, 18, 10, 7 and 7 registrations, of which chlorantraniliprole and glufosinate-P were not only on the front rank of the registrations, but also took up an important position in the technical product category, where the two active ingredients have been in a high market demand, with wide applications. Up to December 31, 2024, there were totally 748 pesticidal active ingredients in China with valid registration (exclusive of 40 pesticide varieties for export only).  

1.4  Number of Registrants 

Up to December 31, 2024, there were 1,922 pesticide registrants, including 1,777 domestic registrants and 145 overseas registrants. In 2024, there were 704 technical product manufacturers and 1,073 dedicated formulators in China. Compared with the number of pesticide registrants at the end of 2023, there was an increase of nine registrants in 2024, which include four domestic and five overseas registrants.

02

Pesticide Registration Analysis, China, 2024

2.1  Number of registrations increasing year by year

In 2022 - 2024, the number of pesticide registrations in China continued to increase. In 2024, the number of new registrations increased by 136.7% over 2023. The implementation of the Regulation on Pesticide Administration, which was revised in 2017, along with the supportive policies, further standardized the process of registration and strengthened environmental compliance requirement, having encouraged manufacturers to go for pesticide registration. As far as technological innovation is concerned, water-based environment-friendly formulations such as suspension agents and soluble agents became more popularized while the promotion of low-toxic ingredients and microbial agents, such as chlorantraniliprole, dinotefuran and microbial, accelerated the green transformation of the pesticide industry. 

2.2  Significant progress in registration of low-toxic pesticides 

Registration of low-toxic pesticides has been constantly advancing in China. In 2024, micro/low-toxic products among the new registrations in China arrived at 96.3%, with no increase of high-toxic pesticide registrations. Since 2021, micro/low-toxic product registrations have taken up above 96% for four consecutive years. 

The Announcement No. 536 issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs prohibits the sale and use of four highly toxic pesticides – phorate, isofenphos-methyl, isocarbophos and ethoprophos, in effect from September 1, 2024; the Announcement No. 736 revokes the registration and prohibits production of four pesticides - omethoate, carbofuran, methomyl and aldicarb, in effect from June 1, 2024, the sale and use of which will be prohibited beginning from June 1, 2026. Meanwhile, carbofuran is permitted as a raw material for production of carbosulfan and benfuracarb, and is allowed for designated supply within the manufacturers of carbofuran, carbosulfan and benfuracarb, to be handled in a controlled manner. Also, methomyl is permitted as a raw material for production of thiodicarb, and is allowed for designated supply within the manufacturers of methomyl and thiodicarb, to be handled in a controlled manner. These two announcements aim at phaseout of a number of high-toxic pesticides to promote the transformation of pesticide production towards low toxicity and high efficiency, via revoking registration in phases, restricting the scope of use and setting up a transition period. With the continuous promotion of the phaseout and prohibition of highly toxic pesticides, up to date, 50 kinds of highly toxic pesticides have been banned.

2.3  Food crop-guided product registration 

The top 10 major crops for pesticide registration in 2024 was still rather concentrated in the food crop sector (Table 2), revealing field crop’s significantly higher number of registrations (rice, wheat and corn) than cash crops and other categories. Among them, rice ranked first with 500 registrations (16.6%), followed by wheat and corn with 303 registrations (10.0%) and 168 registrations (5.6%), respectively, accounting for 32.5% of the total. This structure of registration is a typical reflection of China’s food security strategy.

Despite the slightly lower number of cash crop-oriented pesticide registrations compared to field crops, there was a significant increase of registration of special pesticides dedicated to cabbage (174, 5.8%) and citrus (160, 5.3%), reflecting the urgent crop protection needs from the featured farming and high value-added crops.

Moreover, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs is actively exploring expedite process for registration review and approval; giving support to provincial pesticide assessment agencies to organize joint trials; organizing unified review of test data of joint trials; encouraging pesticide manufacturers to file for product registration of characteristic niche crops. In 2024, there was an increase of pesticide registrations for characteristic niche crops.

Table 2   2024 Top 10 major crops for pesticide registration

2.4  New and clear requirements on registration review and approval 

In 2024, in its Pesticide Registration Information, the National Pesticide Registration Review Committee made it clear that in principle the registration of novel pesticides using food additives and pesticide adjuvants as active ingredients shall not be approved, as novel pesticides should be innovative and superior in safety and effectiveness. Meanwhile, a pesticide mixture of active ingredients with same mechanism of action is in principle not permitted unless the risk of cross-resistance is proved to be low upon testing or by data, and that mixing is really necessary and reasonable, subject to deliberation and decision at a committee meeting. For registration of novel pesticide formulations, priority shall be given to single-agent formulations. If it is really necessary to file for registration of mixtures, necessary information and data are required to justify the necessity, rationality and evident advantages over single-agent formulation. These regulations aim to promote transition of the agrochemical industry to technological innovation and scientific resistance management.

2.5  Further promotion of electronic registration 

The Announcement No. 829 of the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs stipulates clearly that the electronic license such as the Pesticide Registration Certificate would be put in place and issued from November 1, 2024, which shall have the same legal effectiveness as physical certificate. Beginning from January 1, 2025, physical certificate will no longer be issued.

03

Summary

In 2024, China’s pesticide registration showed its ″quantity and quality both increase″ feature, where novel micro/low toxic product registrations accounted for more than 96%, led by food crop-oriented products and supported by cash crop products, as guided by China’s national policies promoting technological innovation. Going ahead, the Chinese pesticide registration will evolve, at an accelerated pace, towards high efficiency, low risk and full crop coverage, providing a technical backup to the development of green agriculture.