GAVL’s crop protection business eyes maize, rice to expand portfolio

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After consolidating its position in crops such as cotton and chillies, the crop protection business of Godrej Agrovet Ltd (GAVL) is eyeing major field crops – maize and rice to expand its product portfolio.

“Maize and rice are the focus areas for us in the next three years. We are working on a novel herbicide for maize and expect to launch it in kharif next year,” said Rajavelu NK, CEO, Crop Protection Business, GAVL.

Also the company is working on two more products – a herbicide and insecticide for rice, which are in different stages of registrations and will be launched over next two to three years, he added.

The R&D division of GAVL’s crop protection business is developing these new products leveraging its partnership Nissan Chemical Corporation. Rajavelu said Gracia, an insecticide launched last year in collaboration with Nissan for chillies, is picking up.

Rajavelu said the company’s strategy of launching an umbrella brand – PYNA for its cotton herbicide and weed management products — has started yielding results with the sales increasing by almost 1.7 times this year. “Our sales have crossed 1,000 kilolitres this year against 600 kl last year,” he said.

In May this year, GAVL launched the umbrella brand for its selective cotton herbicide – pyrithiobac sodium, bringing all its weed management products – Hitweed, Hitweed Maxx and Maxxcot under the PYNA Brand. It also extended the PYNA brand logo to co-marketers such as Bayer CropScience, Rallis India, Dhanuka Agritech, PI Industries and IndoFil Industries.

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The crop protection business registered a 34 per cent growth in Q1 revenues at ₹264 crore over same period last year’s ₹198 crore. The crop protection business accounted for about 14.3 per cent of GAVL’s topline during Q1.

GAVL’s Combine, a plant growth regulator for grapes has a 70 per cent market share, while Hanabi, an insecticide launched in collaboration with Nissan is for controlling mites in tea and chilli. “Our top five to six products such as PYNA, Gracia, Hanabi and Combine among others account for about 60 per cent of our revenues,” he said.

Though the sales of crop protection products such as PYNA and Gracia had slowed down during August, the revival of rains in September should boost the sales, he said.