[Agrochemical Investments] November 2025: 45,000-ton pesticide TC capacity added, with hot picoxystrobin investments

• Overview: In November 2025, about 45,000-ton pesticide TC capacity (to be built and on stream) was added, a lively and robust dynamics of agrochemical industry; 

• Hot spot: Focus of sub-new compounds - picoxystrobin investments (12), bixlozone investments (3); 

• Star product: As a mature fungicide star, picoxystrobin maintains its stable market performance, being a hot product for investment in China and India in recent years;  

• Risk: A number of popular varieties have formed a ″10,000-ton″ capacity newbuild, leading to vigilance against market overcapacity brought about by centralized capacity operation at a later stage.

According to incomplete statistics of AgroPages’ China Agrochemical Investments Tracking System, in November 2025, the agrochemical projects (to be built and on stream) in November 2025 involve 14 pesticide technical and 13 intermediate products, totaling to 44,960-ton pesticide TC and 50,450-ton intermediates. 

This Publication of Agrochemical Investments covers 5 herbicide varieties – triclopyr, triclopyr-butotyl, clomazone, bixlozone and imazamox, 3 insecticide/acaricide varieties – chlorantraniliprole, chlorfenapyr and cyenopyrafen, 6 fungicide varieties – cyprodinil, metconazole, prothioconazole, picoxystrobin, propiconazole and fluopyram.

Among the above, each of the three products - chlorfenapyr, prothioconazole and picoxystrobin, was invested or brought on stream by two companies during this period of the Publication.

In addition, data of AgroPages reveal that among the pesticide investments in this Publication, the capacity launch of chlorantraniliprole, prothioconazole, chlorfenapyr, triclopyr, propiconazole, triclopyr-butotyl, clomazone and picoxystrobin has arrived at above 10,000 tons. Among the new investments,  popular varieties such as fluopyram, triclopyr-butotyl and picoxystrobin have so far attracted investment by 10-plus manufacturers, revealing continuous hot investment in these products. 

In terms of sub-new compounds, the investments involved clomazone (FMC 2001), bixlozone (FMC 2001, chlorantraniliprole (DuPont 2022), and fluopyram (Bayer 2023). 

One Highlight in Each Publication

▼ Picoxystrobin 

1. Product performance

Picoxystrobin is a methoxyacrylate fungicide developed by Zeneca Agrochemicals (now Syngenta AG). This product is developed to target at market segments where azoxystrobin is not satisfactorily effective on certain crops, thus being used as an important complement. It was launched to market the first time by Syngenta in Europe in 2001 in the trade name Acanto, for application to control rust and powdery mildew on wheat, barley and oat as well as tobacco downy mildew.

Key advantage

• High curative activity against a variety of fungi such as stripe rust, powdery mildew, leaf blight and brown spot, with an outstanding control effect;

• Protective and curative effects, being effective against a variety of resistant strains;

• Systemic, with fumigant activity, rain-wash resistance, broad fungicidal spectrum, crop health improving, low toxic to mammals and most of organisms, moderately-degradable in soil. 

• Highly compatible, mixable with a variety of fungicides to expand control spectrum, suited to control of Asian soybean rust and various fruit and vegetable fungal diseases. 

2. Market performance

Sales and growth: From 2018 to 2023, the average annual sales growth of picoxystrobin was 8.4%, which stays steadily on the rise; global sales in 2023 reached US$323 million, up1.6% year on year, mostly contributed by the Brazilian and US markets. 

Stage 1: Syngenta dominance (2001-2006).

Key actions: Launch of the brand product Acanto, which is positioned as a supplementary product to azoxystrobin; 

Market restriction: Due to the overlapped positioning with azoxystrobin, the sales growth of the product is somewhat restricted. Hence, its product potential is not fully utilized yet. 

Stage 2: Corteva (formerly DuPont) dominance (2006 to present).

Critical milestone: Acquisition of the picoxystrobin asset from Syngenta in 2006

Key measures:

• Expansion of sales network and promotions to increase market coverage. 

• Continued effort on registration in Canada, the United States and Ukraine; expansion of application regions and scope of crops to cover more cereal grains, fruits and vegetables, tea trees to prevent and control more diseases. 

• Focused development of mixtures to strengthen competitiveness through the combination of ″single agent + mixture″, such as the market launch of product series in mix with cyproconazole, prothioconazole and benzovindiflupyr (Aproach Prima, Stinger, Aproach Power, Vessarya, Viovan, Lumitreo, Vicroya ORA) to have developed the Latin American market into the largest regional market while successfully accessing into the North American market.

• Attracting ADAMA and Sumitomo Chemical’s joint launch of a variety of mixtures, such as ADAMA’s Cronnos (Picoxystrobin + Mancozeb + Tebuconazole) and Sumitomo Chemical’s Pladius (Picoxystrobin + Difenoconazole + Inpyrfluxam), having received positive market feedback.

This Tracking System believes that as a mature variety in development for long years, the number of product registrations is still quite limited. Over recent years, the potential of its mixture application has been constantly explored; its scope of application has been extended to larger number of high value-added crops, which help to alleviate the cost pressures. With its excellent product performance, increase of registrations and production capacity, going ahead, picoxystrobin is expected to take up a more important position in the fungicide market. 

AgroPages’ China Agrochemical Investments Tracking System will continue to watch and analyze industry dynamics; the tracking system will be your reliable decision-making basis. So, stay tuned for [Agrochemical Investments] December.

Risk Warning: The data in this Publication stems from open information and market survey, and is for reference only. Capacity newbuild is a long process, with a lot of changes. For actual project implementation status, please refer to official information. An investment comes with risk, be cautious in making a decision.