US Pest Control Innovation Risks Falling Behind China Due to Regulatory Delays

Regulatory Backlogs and Grower Impact

• 🐌 EPA's regulatory review process is causing significant delays, impacting over half a billion dollars worth of members' products, including post-patent tools and adjuvants critical for crop protection.
• ⏳ These delays affect grower access to proven technologies, hindering rotational use and timely application of essential tank mix components.
• 💸 The current regulatory environment, coupled with inflation and government restrictions, is described as crippling for agricultural production efficiency and cost.

Innovation and Competitiveness

• 📉 Without updates to the US regulatory system, there's a risk of falling behind in sustainable pest control innovation, particularly compared to countries like China, Brazil, and the EU.
• 🚀 Technologies like PGSIT are already being adopted in competing markets because their regulatory environments move quicker, allowing for faster testing and deployment.
• 💡 Innovations aimed at making products safer and cheaper for growers are not reaching them due to the inability to navigate the US regulatory process.

International Comparison and Timelines

• ⏱️ The US regulatory timelines are longer than those in competing markets, with unpredictable delays even when specific timelines and payments are involved.
• 📅 It can take approximately 12 years and $300 million from development through registration to get a new product into the hands of growers in the US.
• 🤝 Countries like Brazil are taking the lead in biological use on farms, with their governments partnering with companies to expedite product deployment to growers.