Shandong Kangqiao plans 7,000-ton pesticide plant

Shandong Kangqiao Biotechnology has disclosed plans to build a new technical-grade pesticide manufacturing facility with an annual capacity of 7,000 tons, according to a public notice posted on a local government website.

The project, now open for public comment, will be located in the Boxing Chemical Industrial Park in Binzhou, Shandong province. The company plans to construct three production workshops and install five production units.

Once completed, the facility will be capable of producing 5,000 tons per year of pyraclostrobin, along with 500 tons each of spiromesifen, spirodiclofen, bentioflumin and thifluzamide, bringing total annual output to 7,000 tons of pesticide active ingredients.

Bentioflumin is a relatively new acaricide developed by Shandong Kangqiao in 2020. The compound belongs to the trifluoroethyl thioether class and has shown strong efficacy against herbivorous mites, including Panonychus citri, Tetranychus cinnabarinus and Tetranychus urticae, across multiple life stages, according to company information.

Spiromesifen, originally developed by Bayer, is a widely used acaricide and insecticide with a distinct mode of action. In recent years, key patents for the product have expired, allowing Chinese agrochemical producers to legally manufacture and register generic versions. This has opened the door for domestic suppliers to compete with imported products in both local and export markets.

The project reflects continued investment by Chinese agrochemical manufacturers in expanding technical-grade capacity as patent expirations create opportunities for new entrants and as demand for crop protection products remains steady.