Recruiting in China

BASF says India and China will be among the first countries to get access to its latest pipeline insecticide, metaflumizone.

After successful market introductions in Japan and Korea earlier in 2006, BASF in December received registration for its fungicide boscalid in China under the name Kai Tse. This product is tailored for use in the fruit and vegetables segment. Additionally, new products with the fungicide F 500 are scheduled for launch in India in the coming months, both in solo products and in combination with other active ingredients.

"As the Chinese and Indian economies grow, there is a rising demand for high-quality fresh produce," says Michael Heinz, President of BASF's Agricultural Products. "BASF is expanding in this fast-growing segment with solutions that help domestic growers offer superior produce in terms of quality and safety. We are excited about bringing our newest insecticide, metaflumizone, to these countries. Recent progress made in the protection of intellectual property is also encouraging."

With yearly sales of around $1.7 billion in 2005, China is the world's fifth-largest crop protection market. Analysts put yearly growth at between 3%-5%. Of the other top-ranked markets, only India shows similar growth.

"Of course, the high-value segment in China today is still small compared to other countries. But it is growing faster than the overall crop protection market," says Heinz. "We target this segment of the market with our innovative products, and here solutions for fruit and vegetables are key."

Sales in China have more than doubled in the past two years. BASF has ambitious plans for the Chinese market through 2012. In addition to the introduction of numerous BASF innovations, label extensions and new active ingredients will help raise the standard of agriculture in the country.

To bring the right crop protection products to China, BASF has formed working relationships with several top-tier agricultural research organizations such as Nanjing Agricultural University, the Institute of Plant Protection of Beijing Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and the Institute of Plant Protection of Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences. In December, BASF set up a scholarship program with NAU to extend the partnership. Earlier this year, BASF launched two projects with this university in the area of resistance monitoring and mode of action studies of fungicides. This is the first project of its kind that BASF is working on with a Chinese agricultural university at the research level.

"We are impressed by the hard work and new ideas coming from these bright young talents," says Peter Eckes, head of research and formulation development at BASF's Agricultural Products division. "We also look forward to working with these partners to bring our pipeline of innovative new active ingredients to growers in China."