World Agrochemical Network Chinese website reports: The state has included bio-derived pesticides in the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the National Pesticide Industry. The pesticide industry may change dramatically.

In the past few decades, my country has been a well-deserved "big country of pesticides". With the continuous development of society, our requirements for the living environment continue to increase. The prosperity of ecology leads to the prosperity of civilization, and the decline of ecology leads to the decline of civilization. The country strikes again! In order to promote the green development of the pesticide industry, ensure the quality and safety of agricultural products and the safety of the ecological environment, optimize the structure of pesticide varieties, and vigorously develop biological pesticides.

Will chemical pesticides be a thing of the past? What are biogenic pesticides? What are the four favorable policies of the highly popular bio-based pesticide companies?

What are biogenic pesticides?

Bio-derived pesticides or bio-pesticides have no clear definition in the new version of "Pesticide Registration Information Requirements", but generally refer to substances with biological activity or extracted from living organisms that can be directly used in living organisms or biological processes in the world. As a substance to control pests and weeds. Its types include microbial pesticides, botanical pesticides, and biochemical pesticides. Compared with traditional chemical pesticides, biopesticides are generally considered to have low residual risk, are safer for non-target organisms, and are more environmentally friendly.

Four favorable policies for biological pesticides

In 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs gave a detailed answer on how to support the development, promotion and use of biopesticide enterprises and biopesticide in the "Reply to Recommendation No. 9683 of the Fourth Session of the Thirteenth National People's Congress". There are four major favorable policies, we will analyze and interpret them one by one.

Positive 1: Bio-derived pesticides are included in the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the National Pesticide Industry

In the fourth chapter of the "14th Five-Year" National Agricultural Green Development Plan" published in August 2021, Nongguifa [2021] No. 8 proposed the implementation of green prevention and control. In key areas of horticultural crops, integrated Promote biological control, physical control and other green prevention and control technologies. Give priority to industrial layout, structural adjustment, green production, technological innovation, etc., focus on development, promote the concentration of production factors to bio-derived pesticides, make the bio-derived pesticide industry better and stronger, and promote the transformation and upgrading of the pesticide industry and sustainable and healthy development.

Since the bio-derived pesticide industry is an industry encouraged and supported by the state, this means that companies will have certain advantages in applying for policy support, such as government subsidies and financing support.

Benefit 2: Increase policy support and special fund support for bio-derived pesticides

In recent years, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance and other departments have also formulated and implemented a series of policies and measures to support the development of biological pesticides. For example, the specialization of unified prevention and control has been promoted to give priority to the use of biological pesticides; the use of biological pesticides has been promoted first in fruit, vegetable tea, etc.; and subsidies have been given to farmers for the use of biological pesticides.

The state will give priority to promoting the use of bio-derived pesticides in fruit and vegetable tea, and companies can give priority to these crops when developing bio-derived pesticides. Providing subsidies for farmers to use bio-derived pesticides will stimulate the sales and use of bio-derived pesticides, and help bio-derived pesticide companies seize the market.

Benefit 3: Encourage bio-based pesticide companies to innovate and develop

In order to encourage technological innovation and scientific and technological research and development of enterprises, the state has issued a series of preferential tax policies. Eligible leading enterprises of biological pesticides can enjoy the following preferential tax policies according to regulations. For example, 75% of the R&D expenses of enterprises are deducted, of which 100% is deducted for manufacturing enterprises; the recognized high-tech enterprises are subject to a reduced corporate income tax rate of 15%; 5 years to 10 years; enterprise technology transfer income of less than 5 million yuan is exempted from tax, and the part above 5 million yuan is halved and levied on enterprise income tax; the newly purchased equipment and appliances with a unit value of not more than 5 million yuan are allowed to be purchased at one time. tax deductions, etc.

Advantage 4: Improve the registration policy of biological pesticides

Under the premise of ensuring safety and effectiveness, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs reduces the test content and shortens the test period according to the characteristics of different types of biological pesticides, and encourages enterprises to develop and register high-efficiency and low-risk biological pesticides. Biopesticide new pesticides can complete multi-site efficacy tests within one year; botanical pesticides, microbial pesticides and some biochemical pesticides can be exempted from residue tests; biochemical pesticides can be exempted from all environmental fate tests and 21 environmental toxicology tests; microbial pesticides are exempted 19 environmental toxicological tests; 3 environmental fate tests and 17 environmental toxicological tests for botanical pesticide reduction and exemption.

In 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs also implemented green channel management measures for pesticide registration and approval, including bio-derived pesticides in the green channel for pesticide registration and approval, and prioritizing technical review of microbial pesticides, plant-derived pesticides, biochemical pesticides, and agricultural antibiotics produced through biological fermentation , to accelerate the pace of registration, which provides a more relaxed policy environment for the development and registration of biological pesticides.

In addition, the Institute for Drug Control of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs is also stepping up efforts to formulate quality standards for biological pesticides, guidelines for registration efficacy tests, and research and improve the construction of biological pesticide standards and registration technology systems. In September 2019, the general provisions of the "Guidelines for Environmental Risk Assessment of Microbial Pesticides", fish, fleas, birds, bees, silkworms (draft for comments) were published. In 2020, my country's "List of Active Ingredients for Biopesticide Registration (2020 Edition)" (Draft for Comment) was published, improving the list of various biological pesticide products, and further standardizing the naming, labeling, dosage forms, etc. of microbial pesticides, semiochemicals and other products .

Due to the wide variety of biological pesticides, the production processes and usage methods of different biological pesticides are quite different, and the registration data requirements are also different. However, the author believes that with the clarification of my country's registration policy and detailed technical requirements, it will greatly help enterprises reduce the uncertainty of product registration, and provide favorable technical support for enterprises to develop and register biological pesticides.

Conclusion

At present, the development of green agriculture has become the main theme. In the list of 13 new active ingredients of pesticides announced in November 2021, 8 products are biological pesticides. It is believed that with the attention and support of government departments such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, environmentally friendly and low-toxic green biological pesticides will usher in new development opportunities.