China’s nation-wide work safety inspection is currently ongoing, and is being expanded to cover more regions. As a result, there is an increase in the number of factories in which production has been shut down or restricted. Compared to last month, the major production of herbicide and insecticide varieties have remained slow, though there is a sharp price rise in some products. Fungicides have risen sharply, as triazole and strobilurin fungicide products are largely produced in Jiangsu Province, where production is restricted and supplies are limited. Major varieties still remain slow, but there are signs of price rises for a majority of varieties. The extensive production shutdown and restriction of major product items have caused a surge in the active market for minor products.
Herbicide Market
During May, glyphosate technical prices remained low, and the cost of production is also low, and this situation has been continuing for an extended period. Glufosinate technical prices also remain low, while its formulation prices are falling, step by step. As regards to the price of pretilachlor, attention needs to be paid to the impact on the market caused by production shutdowns or restrictions in its main production region. Acetochlor technical factories are intensely competing against each other. Mefenacet technical factories are slashing prices to attract purchase orders, while the export market is not performing well. Trifluralin technical factories are being restrained by environmental regulations on waste acid treatment, which is a difficult process, thus production is restricted, resulting in a tight supply. The haloxyfop-R-methyl terminal market remains stable, with a short supply in the upstream market due to insufficient production loads. Quizalofop-p-ethyl technical and nicosulfuron technical are in short supply, while upstream intermediates remain high. The supply is limited, and the production of the majority of factories are either shut down or restricted. Factories are restrained from quoting and taking purchase orders. Delivery is being fulfilled only for purchase orders placed earlier.
The Xiangshui Explosion has resulted in a price surge for resorcinol, which has had a large impact on the supply of oxyfluorfen technical and mesotrione technical. Also, the close-down of industrial parks in north Jiangsu Province has caused reductions in the number of bentazone technical factories. The stocks of clethodim technical are at a low level, and its supply may appear tight at a later stage, with the shutdown or restriction of the production of triketone.
Part of herbicide prices detailed as below:
|
Product（TC）
|
100% basis/ actual concentration
|
Price（000 RMB/ton）
|
|
2,4-D
|
98%
|
20.5
|
|
Mefenacet
|
98%
|
72.0
|
|
Oxadiazon
|
95%
|
330.0
|
|
Glyphosate
|
95%
|
24.0
|
|
Pretilachlor
|
95%
|
36.0
|
|
Acetochlor
|
100% basis
|
22.0
|
|
Mefenacet
|
98%
|
72.0
|
|
Trifluralin
|
97%
|
38.0
|
|
Quizalofop-p-ethyl
|
100% basis
|
260.0
|
|
Nicosulfuron
|
95%
|
380.0
|
Insecticide Market
Production of nicotine products still remains slow, while pyrethroid technical has started to decline, which has had an impact on the insecticide price level. Abamectin technical series has remained relatively stable. CCMP and CCMT has been at a higher level, while nicotine technical exports are very slow, where high levels of stocks still remain. In general, it is running quite low, as only a few malathion technical factories are running production, resulting in short supplies. Profenofos technical, chlorpyrifos technical and phoxim technical productions are all affected by the restraint of work safety inspections, running at very low levels. The high level of waste discharges from organophosphorus productions will be a key factor affecting its supply at a later stage.
Fipronil technical factories are accepting purchase orders, but there are no load productions yet, though many purchase orders for export are arriving.
The Xiangshui Explosion has also resulted in a continued tight situation with the supply of 2,6-difluorobenzamide, where downstream technical material manufacturers are frustrated, having led to price fluctuations of related products. Attention needs be paid to the timing of the increase of the production load of 2,6-difluorobenzamide. The supply of 3,3-dimethyl-4-pentenoic acid methyl ester and lambda cyhalothrin acid, upstream of pyrethroids, have increased to a certain degree, while prices remain on the low side. Pyrethroid products have started to slightly rebound.
Chlorfenapyr technical and bifenazate technical production in China are both being requested to become more centralized, which has currently restricted the production load. Supplies of intermediates are, at this moment, in short supply, while demand is relatively high, the tight supply might not be eased in a short period.
Part of insecticide prices detailed as below:
|
Product（TC）
|
100% basis/ actual concentration
|
Price（000 RMB/ton）
|
|
Abamectin
|
100% basis
|
600.0
|
|
Malathion
|
90%
|
30.0
|
|
Profenofos
|
100% basis
|
70.0
|
|
Chlorpyrifos
|
97%
|
46.0
|
|
Phoxim
|
100% basis
|
38.5
|
|
Fipronil
|
95%
|
730.0
|
|
Chlorfenapyr
|
98%
|
350.0
|
|
Bifenazate
|
97%
|
490.0
|
|
Lambda cyhalothrin
|
96%
|
330.0
|
|
Acetamiprid
|
97%
|
160.0
|
Fungicide Market
The production bases of fungicides are mainly located in Jiangsu Province, where a tense atmosphere pervades the market. Due to restraints caused by work safety inspections, the production load of difenoconazole technical factories is falling even further, leading to a serious product shortage and non-availability of the product on the market, while prices have risen sharply. Several prime agrochemical companies in China have started to manufacture supplies of pyraclostrobin technical, as downstream demand is continuing, while prices are rebounding, yet the supply remainsshort. The supply of azoxystrobin technical’s upstream intermediates is also short.
The carbendazim technical and thiophanate-methyl technical factories are constrained by strict environmental compliance regulatory requirements, being at low levels of stocks. However, their export demands remain normal and the market price is relatively stable. The fluazinam demand has increased, and its production is quite centralized in certain locations as export demand is surging and there is a large gap in supply. Further, the production of prochloraz technical is restricted, the level of stocks on the market is on the low side, while production output is seriously falling behind.
Now, with the upcoming cyazofamid technical business season and while factories are not running at high loads, there will be short supplies on the market. Dimethomorph technical, diethofencarb technical and diethofencarb technical are still in short supply. It is the slow market at present that has concealed the situation of the shortage of products.
Meanwhile, work safety inspections continued in May, while taking into account the repeat environmental compliance regulatory inspections from the central government, and the willingness to take purchase orders on the upstream side is still rather weak. With the continued work safety and environmental inspections, as well as the extended regions subject to inspections and the gradual consumption on the downstream side, the market is, in general, foreseen to be oriented to the demand from the terminal market. Demand for export purposes and demand in later stages are expected to be seen in the future, and the fungicide market will remain high.
Part of fungicide prices detailed as below:
|
Product（TC）
|
100% basis/ actual concentration
|
Price（000 RMB/ton）
|
|
Difenoconazole
|
96%
|
275.0
|
|
Pyraclostrobin
|
98%
|
193.0
|
|
Azoxystrobin
|
98%
|
370.0
|
|
Carbendazim(white)
|
97%
|
37.5
|
|
Thiophanate-methyl(white)
|
97%
|
32.0
|
|
Fluazinam
|
98%
|
365.0
|
|
Prochloraz
|
96%
|
175.0
|
|
Cyazofamid
|
95%
|
750.0
|
|
Diethofencarb
|
100% basis
|
150.0
|
|
Dimethomorph
|
98%
|
165.0
|
Source: Agropages