Ricardo Yapur: "Growth will be boosted by a greater adoption of the technology and by rising prices for it."

The president of Argentine seed treatment company Rizobacter, Ricardo Yapur, tells Robert Birkett of his country´s fast growing agrochemical sector.

Ricardo Yapur has worked his whole professional life of over a quarter of a century in the Argentine seed treatment business. He enjoys working in the sector and is bullish about its prospects “Every day in this business is like new, it is highly dynamic and I am required to travel the globe.”

The agronomist has worked for the national seed treatment and inoculants specialist, Rizobacter, for 27 years. He became president last year, following six years as vice-president.

“The major change that I have seen in the Argentine agrochemical business has been the improved professionalism of staff, in management and in technical positions,” he says.

The improvement has come during a boom in the sector. The Argentine agrochemical market has more than doubled since the turn of the century to over $1,300 million last year, according to the national agrochemical industry association, the Casafe. The seed treatment market has trebled in that time and stood at $74.2 million last year.

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The demand for seed treatments has increased particularly strongly in the past year or so. The sector enjoyed growth of 69% in dollar sales in 2007, and a similar rise in Argentine pesos. Volumes rose by nearly half. Seed treatments were among the major performers in a strong 2007 agrochemical market in Argentina. The general pesticide market rose by just over half.

Seed treatments accounted for just over 5% of the national agrochemical market last year but the industry is confidently raising prices and gaining improving sales. The market is likely to hit $100 million plus this year on current trends. Mr Yapur is confident that business will continue the expansion of the past few years. “Growth will be boosted by a greater adoption of the technology and by rising prices for it.”

The market is increasingly competitive and difficult due to the entry of competitors attracted by its rising sales, the Rizobacter president says. Nevertheless, “[we] have benefitted significantly [from the boom]”, he adds.

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The international market research group, Kleffmann, has predicted that the approval of important active ingredients will be among the main drivers of growth in the seed treatment business.

There are new ais for use in seed treatments coming onto the market, but generic products have seen the real boom, according to Mr Yapur. “Registrations are coming through regularly each year as more companies have entered the commercial chain”. Argentina has a high degree of generic product competition.
The Rizobacter chief lists the major ais for use as seed treatments in Argentina as: the fungicides, carbendazim, thiram, thiamethoxam and metalaxyl; and the insecticide, imidacloprid....

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