To buy agrochemicals from India, decide first whether you want a technical (the active ingredient at high concentration) or a formulation (the finished product a farmer applies), and then confirm that the product can be legally registered and sold in your country. Generic pesticides from India are widely exported, but the registration question comes before the price question.
A generic is a product whose original patent has expired. Many Gujarat plants make generics, and the buyer's job is to scope the purchase tightly.
Technical or formulation: which do you buy?
A technical is the active ingredient, usually 90% to 98% pure depending on the molecule. You then formulate it locally into a suspension concentrate, emulsifiable concentrate, wettable granule or other type. A formulation arrives ready to pack and sell. Technical vs formulation sets out the trade-off, and the main formulation types are worth knowing before you ask for a quote.
Buying technical gives you control over the formulation and brand. It needs a formulation plant and registration skills in your market. Buying formulated product is simpler to start, but the registration usually has to cover the exact formulation and the source of the active ingredient.
Registration comes first
Almost every country requires a pesticide to be registered before it is imported or sold, and the registrant is usually a local company, not the Indian maker. The data package, the supplier's manufacturing source and sometimes comparative testing against a reference product can all be required. Do you need product registration before importing agrochemicals explains the principle. Rules differ by country, so confirm with your national regulator before you sign a contract.
Who makes what in Gujarat?
Gujarat has technical manufacturers, formulators and companies that do both. Some actives are made by a handful of plants in India and by others abroad, so ask each supplier where the technical comes from. A formulator buying technical from a third party is a legitimate model, but the source of the active matters for registration. See agrochemicals made in Gujarat and why India is strong in generic agrochemicals.
What belongs in the specification?
- The active ingredient, with its ISO common name and CAS number.
- Minimum purity for technicals, or content in grams per litre or per cent for formulations.
- Limits on relevant impurities, as set by the FAO specification for that molecule where one exists.
- Physical properties for the formulation type, such as suspensibility, emulsion stability and pH.
- Packaging, labelling language and shelf life.
How do you control quality?
Test a sample from the actual production batch for active content and impurities, and repeat on the first commercial lot. The certificate should list the tests in what an agrochemical certificate of analysis contains. Many agrochemicals are also dangerous goods, so check the classification before you book freight.
Next step
We find manufacturers that make your active or formulation, check their documents and samples, have lots tested and supervise loading. We work only for the buyer, for one written fee agreed in advance. Book a free sourcing review with the active, formulation type and target market.