BASF introduces insecticide to manage ‘piercing pests’

BASF introduces Efficon insecticide in India to combat pests in crops, part of new IRAC group 36 class.

Global chemical solutions firm BASF has introduced Efficon, a new insecticide, in India to help farmers rein in piercing and sucking pests that pose a threat to crops.

The product is among the first compounds in the market introduced under the new IRAC group 36 that represents a new class of insecticides (Group 36 — pyridazine) and which has no known cross-resistance with existing products in the market, the company said at the launch here on Monday.

India is one of the earliest countries where the product is being introduced. The insecticide was first rolled out in Australia last year and subsequently in Korea, BASF India Business Director Agricultural Solutions Giridhar Ranuva said. While the insecticide is being imported to begin with, it will be manufactured in India within a year or two, he said in a reply to queries.

Over the last five years, BASF has invested more than euro 300 million on research and manufacturing in India, he said.

Efficon will help Indian farmers get protection against insect pests in a wide variety of crops like cotton and vegetables. “Cotton, cucumber, chilli, tomato and brinjal [crops] are the first wave labels that we got approved from the government,” Mr. Ranuva said, adding approval for use in soya bean, potato, onion, mustard and cumin crops was expected.

In a release, BASF said in India it has eight production sites, 42 offices and more than 2,300 employees. In 2023, BASF registered sales of approximately euro 2.4 billion to customers in India. Globally, the BASF Group has 1,12,000 employees and generated euro 68.9 billion sales in 2023.