How to Build an Insecticide Portfolio for Your Market

To build a competitive insecticide product line, you must first understand which crops are grown locally, which pests cause the most damage, and what problems existing products fail to address—rather than simply picking active ingredients at random from a supplier’s catalog.

A well-designed insecticide portfolio should cover major pests, feature a reasonable selection of modes of action, comply with local registration requirements, and assign a clear sales role to each product.

For pesticide importers, distributors, and private-label manufacturers, the number of products is not the most important factor. What matters is which products can be sold consistently, which can complement existing control strategies, and which are worth investing in for new registrations and inventory.

Building a product line can follow this sequence:

Local crops → Major pests → Control needs → IRAC Group → Product role → Registration feasibility → Commercial evaluation → Procurement plan

Problems to be solved	What to do
Unsure which products to select first	First identify major crops and high-frequency pests
Too many products with overlapping functions	Categorize by active ingredient, target pests, and IRAC Group
Lack of diverse control approaches	Identify product gaps with genuine market value
Uncertain whether registration is worthwhile	Assess local demand, registration costs, and projected sales
Uncertain how many SKUs to procure	Start with verified core needs
Concerns about product marketability	Define the target customer base, price positioning, and sales season in advance
Desire to expand the product line	Gradually expand based on existing sales data and unmet needs

Below, from a practical procurement perspective, we’ll explain how to build an insecticide portfolio suited to the local market.

What Makes a Good Insecticide Product Portfolio?

An insecticide portfolio is not simply a matter of listing different active ingredients on the same price list.

It should help local customers address different types of pest infestations while providing distributors with clear product positioning and a reasonable inventory structure.In an agricultural market, “comprehensive” does not mean “numerous”; rather, it means that key needs are adequately covered.

Four key factors can be used to determine whether a product line is well-designed.

Does it cover major pests?

For example, a market dominated by vegetable and cotton cultivation may need to focus on:

• Aphids
• Whiteflies
• Thrips
• Caterpillars
• Bollworms
• Mites

These are merely common areas of market research and do not imply that all vegetable and cotton markets face the same pest pressure.

The actual product portfolio should be determined based on local survey results.

Does it offer a reasonable selection of modes of action?

If a distributor sells five different insecticides that all belong to the same IRAC Group, this does not constitute five distinct resistance management options.

Different products may have different commercial value, but it is essential to distinguish between:

commercial product diversity and diversity of modes of action.

Does each product have a clear intended use?

One product may address routine needs that account for a large portion of local sales.

Another product may be used on high-value crops.

Still other products are suitable for addressing specific pest, life stage, or resistance management needs.

If two products target the same customers, the same pests, and the same price range, and there are no obvious differences between them, it is necessary to determine whether it is necessary to sell both simultaneously.

Does it have long-term business value?

In addition to efficacy and technical characteristics, the following factors must also be considered:

• Registration and related data requirements
• Procurement costs
• Market prices
• Projected sales volume
• Inventory turnover
• Supply stability
• Feasibility of repeat orders

A truly valuable product portfolio must satisfy both agricultural and commercial needs.

How to determine which insecticides the local market needs most?

The first step is not to select an active ingredient, but to identify the actual pest control needs in the local area.

You can start by selecting the three to five most important local crop categories for market research. This number is simply a practical approach to begin the analysis; it is not a fixed standard that must be applied to every market.

Identify Major Crops First

Pest profiles can vary significantly across different crops.

Major Crops	Pests to Investigate
Cotton	Aphids, Whiteflies, Bollworms, Lygus, Mites
Rice	Planthoppers, Stem Borers, Leaf Folders
Maize	Fall Armyworm, Stem Borers, Aphids
Vegetables	Whiteflies, Thrips, Aphids, Caterpillars
Citrus	Psyllids, Scale Insects, Mites, Leafminers
Potato	Aphids, Colorado Potato Beetle, Potato Tuberworm

This table serves as a starting point for creating a market research checklist; it is not intended to be directly applied as pest control recommendations for every country.

You also need to confirm the actual frequency, severity, and economic impact of these pests in your local area.

You can refer to POMAIS’s Crop Protection Solutions to understand the key pest control issues that need to be investigated for different crops.

Then prioritize them based on market demand

Not all pests warrant adding a separate SKU.

We recommend recording the following information:

Assessment Criteria	What You Need to Know
Pest Occurrence Frequency	Does it occur frequently each year?
Affected Crops	How many major crops are affected?
Economic Impact	Does it cause significant losses in yield or product quality?
Farmer Purchase Demand	Is there consistent purchasing activity locally?
Existing Products	What established solutions are available on the market?
Efficacy Issues	Is there resistance, or are existing products ineffective?
Sales Season	In which months does the majority of purchasing occur?
Registration Status	Which products can be legally supplied?

After completing the survey, categorize pests into:

Primary needs, supplementary needs, and needs not currently prioritized.

This approach prevents adding inventory based solely on a supplier’s recommendation of a new product without a solid market foundation.

How to Categorize Pesticide Products by Role?

Once the primary pests have been identified, the next step is to establish clear commercial roles for the products.

I recommend categorizing candidate products into three tiers.

Core Products: Core Products

Core products primarily address pest problems with stable local demand and broad customer coverage.

They should typically possess:

• Clear market demand
• Appropriate local registration for intended uses
• Acceptable procurement costs
• Stable sales channels
• Reasonable expectations for repeat purchases

Core products are not necessarily the lowest-priced products.

They should be products that distributors can carry long-term and that customers genuinely need.

Gap-Filling Products: Supplemental Products

These products are primarily used to address gaps not fully covered by the existing product line.

For example:

A distributor may already have a product suitable for certain aphid control scenarios but lacks suitable options for other important pests.

Or, existing products may be overly concentrated within the same IRAC Group, necessitating an evaluation of other effective and approved modes of action.

In such cases, adding supplemental products may offer practical value.

However, it is only worth adding a new product if it genuinely meets local needs.

Strategic Products: Strategic or Differentiated Products

These products typically serve:

• High-value crops
• Specialized growing operations
• Specific pest management needs
• Differentiated brand positioning
• Future market growth directions

They may involve higher technical barriers or require greater investment in registration or marketing.

Therefore, one should not automatically assume a product is worth launching simply because its technology is relatively new.

Purchasers should first confirm whether target customers are willing to pay for its actual value.

How to Categorize the Three Types of Products?

Product Tiering	Key Questions	Procurement Strategy
Core Products	Which products support day-to-day sales?	Prioritize evaluation
Gap-Filling Products	What features are missing from existing products?	Supplement based on specific needs
Strategic Products	Which products offer long-term differentiated value?	Proceed according to funding and registration plans

There is no need to set uniform quantities or sales ratios across the three tiers.

The appropriate product structure may vary significantly between established distributors and importers new to the market.

Once roles are defined, you can refer to POMAIS’s pesticide product classification to filter candidate products by active ingredient, formulation, and product specifications.

How to Use IRAC Groups to Build a Reasoned Product Portfolio?

IRAC Groups serve as a crucial technical basis for establishing an insecticide product line.

They classify insecticides and acaricides based on their Mode of Action (MoA).

For distributors, this classification helps identify overlaps in modes of action among products and assess whether the product line offers valuable, distinct options.

However, please note:

IRAC grouping does not imply product registration, nor does it alone prove that a product is effective against local pests.

Different active ingredients do not necessarily represent different modes of action.

For example:

Active Ingredient	IRAC Group
Imidacloprid	4A
Acetamiprid	4A
Thiamethoxam	4A
Dinotefuran	4A
Clothianidin	4A

All five of these active ingredients belong to IRAC Group 4A.

If your product line already includes two of these, and you are considering adding a third, you must first answer:

What value does this new product actually add?

Possible value includes:

• Registrations for different crops
• Different target pests
• Different formulations
• Different package sizes
• Different sales channels
• Different price positioning

All of these can be valid business reasons.

However, simply substituting one active ingredient from the same group for another should not be marketed as a full rotation of modes of action.

Identifying candidate directions across different IRAC Groups

Below is a list of common active ingredients that can be used for market research.

Active Ingredient	IRAC Group	Evaluable Market Role
Lambda-Cyhalothrin	3A	Conventional pest control in registered application scenarios
Acetamiprid	4A	Selected markets for sucking pests
Flonicamid	29	Management of selected sucking pests such as aphids
Chlorantraniliprole	28	Management of Lepidopteran pests
Emamectin Benzoate	6	Approved targets including Lepidopteran pests
Buprofezin	16	Control of specific life stages of certain whiteflies, scale insects, and other pests
Pyriproxyfen	7C	Control of developmental stages of certain whiteflies and other approved targets
Etoxazole	10B	Control of specific mites and insect life stages

These are merely candidate directions for product portfolio analysis.No active ingredient listed in the table can be determined to be suitable for a specific country, crop, or pest based solely on its name. Local registration labels, target pests, and resistance status must be verified before formal procurement.

How should formulated insecticides be evaluated?

Combination products can be used to address more complex control needs, but they should not be assumed to be superior simply because they contain two active ingredients.

For example, a product consists of Group 3A and Group 28.

It may be listed as:

IRAC Group 3A + 28

However, this does not mean that a third mode of action, completely independent of Group 3A and Group 28, has been achieved.

Purchasers need to confirm:

• The control value of each individual ingredient
• Whether local major pests require this combination
• Whether there are related resistance issues
• The degree of overlap between the combination and existing single-ingredient products
• Whether registration and costs are commercially viable

Formulation combinations should be based on clear technical and commercial justifications, rather than simply to increase the number of SKUs.

How to Complete a Product Line Based on Pests and Life Stages?

A complete product portfolio cannot be built solely based on the two broad categories of “sucking pests” and “chewing pests.”

Even within the same broad category, different pests may vary in behavior, life cycle, and sensitivity to pesticides.

For example, the control requirements for whitefly nymphs may differ from those for adults.

Lepidopteran larvae and eggs also cannot simply be treated as a single target.

Therefore, when establishing a product line, an additional dimension should be added:

Pest Species + Life Stage + Registered Control Option

The following survey form can be used:

Pest Category	Key Points to Confirm	Product Portfolio Value
Aphids	Specific species, crops, local resistance	Is it necessary to supplement with a category for sucking pests?
Whiteflies	Species, nymphs and adults, resistance status	Need for product options targeting different life stages
Thrips	Species, concealed feeding, local control efficacy	Are there already suitable specialized products available?
Caterpillars	Species, instars, occurrence periods	Are there sufficient control options for Lepidoptera?
Leafminers	Species, leaf-mining stage, approved uses	Is there a distinct market demand?
Mites	Mite species, eggs, and active life stages	Is a dedicated miticide required?
Soil Pests	Pest species, soil and crop stages	Need for soil-treatment or seed-treatment products

The purpose of this table is to help buyers identify product gaps, not to provide farmers with standardized application procedures.

For product selection regarding specific pest issues, please refer to POMAIS’s Crop Pest Control Solutions.

How to Identify Gaps in the Existing Insecticide Product Line?

This is one of the most valuable tasks in practical procurement planning.

Suppose a distributor primarily serves the vegetable and cotton markets.

Local surveys indicate that aphids, whiteflies, lepidopteran larvae, and mites are pests warranting special attention.

The distributor currently carries only:

• Imidacloprid
• Acetamiprid
• Lambda-Cyhalothrin

The next step should not be to simply add more insecticides.

Instead, start by creating a product coverage table.

Example of Product Line Gap Analysis

Issues to Address	Current Product Status	Possible Next Steps
Certain sucking pests	Two Group 4A products already available	Check for functional overlap and resistance pressure
General pest control	Group 3A product already available	Evaluate actual local efficacy and applicable registrations
Lepidopteran larvae	Lack of clear direction for dedicated products	Evaluate candidate products such as Group 28 and Group 6
Whitefly nymph management	Lack of clear management options for specific developmental stages	Evaluate approved Group 16 or 7C products
Mites	No dedicated acaricides	First confirm whether local mite infestations warrant separate management

This is merely a hypothetical scenario; it does not imply that the three existing products listed above can cover all the pests listed, nor does it imply that the listed candidate products have been approved for use in any specific market.

However, it illustrates one point very well:

What a product line truly needs to add is usually not more product names, but unmet needs for effective pest control.

How do you determine if a product is a duplicate SKU?

You can ask five consecutive questions:

1. Is it targeted at the same customers as existing products?
2. Does it target the same primary pests?
3. Does it belong to the same IRAC Group?
4. Is it positioned in the same price range and sales channel?
5. Does it have independent value that justifies the investment in inventory and registration?

If most answers indicate a high degree of overlap, careful consideration is needed before adding the product.

Of course, different products within the same IRAC Group may still have a legitimate commercial role due to differences in registration, formulation, packaging, or customer demand.

The key is not to prohibit overlap, but to avoid worthless overlap.

Which insecticides should be prioritized for registration and launch?

After screening candidate products, you must also decide which one to pursue first.

For importers, this is often more important than the number of products.

This is because each new product added may entail:

• Registration investment
• Preparation of technical documentation
• Sample testing
• Packaging development
• Initial inventory
• Sales and promotion
• Follow-up restocking management

We recommend a two-round screening process.

First round: Exclude products that cannot move forward

If any of the following issues exist, the product should not proceed directly to procurement:

• No viable legal registration pathway in the target market
• The target crop or pest lacks the required approved uses
• Local resistance conditions cast significant doubt on the product’s value
• Technical specifications fail to meet project requirements
• Production sources or necessary documentation cannot be verified
• The procurement volume is severely mismatched with actual market demand

These issues should be resolved before discussing pricing.

Round 2: Comparing the Commercial Priorities of Remaining Products

Project Evaluation	Criteria Typically Met by High-Priority Products
Market Demand	Clear and Sustainable
Product Coverage	Fills an actual unmet need for prevention and control
IRAC Value	Effective and aligned with the planned mechanism of action of existing products
Registration Feasibility	Clear pathways and key requirements
Sales Channels	Target customers can be reached
Pricing Strategy	Reasonable sales and profit margins
Projected Sales Volume	Aligns with procurement and inventory scales
Supply Stability	Can support long-term repeat orders

You can label candidate products as:

Priority A: Prioritize Development

Clear demand, feasible registration pathway, and suitable supply conditions.

Priority B: Further Evaluation

Shows potential but still lacks market, technical, or commercial information.

Priority C: Postponed

Insufficient demand, high functional overlap, significant registration hurdles, or currently lacking a reasonable commercial basis.

This makes it easier to manage project risks than launching more than a dozen new products at once.

How do formulations, packaging, and pricing affect the pesticide product portfolio?

The same active ingredient can exist in different formulations, but that does not mean all formulations are suitable for your market.

For example:

Products such as EC, SC, SL, WG, WP, and FS differ in terms of technical performance, storage, packaging, application methods, and registration requirements.

Importers should first confirm the requirements the product must meet before evaluating the formulation.

Procurement Dimensions	What Should Be Confirmed?
Formulation	Is it suitable for the active ingredient and intended use?
Concentration	Does it align with market demand and the registered product identity?
Packaging	Is it suitable for local distribution channels and customers?
Storage	Does it meet the expected storage conditions?
Specification	Are there clear product quality standards?
Price	Does it align with the product’s value and the customer’s budget?
Registration	Does the specific product intended for sale comply with local requirements?

For example, if a customer wishes to purchase a high-concentration WG formulation, one cannot conclude that its commercial value is necessarily higher than that of an SC formulation simply because it has a smaller shipping volume.

Other factors to consider include:

• Product stability
• Actual user experience
• Acceptance by the target customer base
• Packaging costs
• Registration differences
• Supplier quality control capabilities

For guidelines on selecting different formulation types, refer to POMAIS’s Pesticide Formulation Procurement Guide.

Do not compare only the price per bottle

Two products may differ in the following aspects:

• Active ingredient
• Concentration
• Formulation
• Packaging quantity
• Product specifications
• Registration scope

Therefore, a product that appears cheaper is not necessarily the best commercial choice for the local market.

Ultimately, you should compare:

the cost of compliant products, value to target customers, reasonable selling prices, and overall procurement risk.

How to Manage Insecticide SKU Count and Inventory Risk?

Building a product line is not a one-time task.

As sales seasons, crop rotation patterns, pest pressure, and local registration status change, the product portfolio must be adjusted accordingly.

For new distributors, I recommend first establishing a product portfolio that addresses core issues, then gradually adding SKUs for which there is clear demand.

There is no need to introduce all candidate products at once just to make the catalog appear complete.

Start by establishing a core sales list

Confirm which products meet the following criteria:

• Appropriate legal sales conditions
• Clear customer demand
• Reasonable initial order quantity
• Acceptable product cost
• Stable supply plan

Then adjust based on sales results

At a minimum, focus on:

Business Metrics	What Issues Can Be Identified?
Actual Sales Volume	Which Products Are Truly in Demand?
Inventory Turnover	Which SKUs Are Tying Up Too Much Capital?
Repeat Customer Purchases	Which products have sustained commercial value?
Seasonal Demand	When should restocking be done in advance?
Customer Feedback	Are there any unmet pest management needs?
Technical Feedback	Are there concerns about declining efficacy or resistance?
Registration Changes	Which products need to be adjusted or phased out?

If a product shows no demand for multiple consecutive sales seasons, its value for retention should be reevaluated.

If a major pest continues to proliferate and existing products cannot meet market demand, the evaluation of new products can be restarted.

The product line should evolve with market changes, rather than simply adding new products without phasing out outdated ones.

What should you consider when selecting an insecticide supplier?

Once the list of candidate products has been finalized, the next step is to compare suppliers.

At this stage, it is not recommended to simply send:

Please send me the prices for all your insecticides.

A more effective approach is to ask suppliers to provide specific product proposals based on the identified market needs.

Key considerations during procurement include:

• Do the active ingredients and formulation meet requirements?
• Are the product specifications clearly defined?
• Are the sources of the technical active ingredient and formulation transparent?
• Is the quality of samples and commercial batches consistent?
• Can they provide the technical documentation required for the project?
• Do they support local registration requirements?
• Is the packaging suitable for the sales channels?
• Are delivery and repeat supply reliable?

A longer list of suppliers does not necessarily mean they are better suited for your product line.

What truly matters is whether a supplier can provide products that meet requirements, offer commercial value, and ensure long-term, stable supply.

If you are comparing multiple manufacturers, you may refer to POMAIS’s Comprehensive Guide to Comparing Pesticide Suppliers.

What Should You Prepare Before Sending an Inquiry to an Insecticide Manufacturer?

You don’t necessarily need to specify all products in your first inquiry.

However, providing the following information will help suppliers better understand your market.

Information Required	Examples
Destination Country	Kazakhstan
Main Crops	Wheat, Cotton, Vegetables
Main Pests	Aphids, Caterpillars, Whiteflies
Existing Products	Imidacloprid, Lambda-Cyhalothrin
Current IRAC Groups	4A, 3A
Missing Product Roles	Caterpillar Control, Alternative Mode of Action
Preferred Formulations	EC, SC, WG
Registration Status	Existing / New Application
Target Price Segment	Economy / Standard / Premium
Estimated Volume	Expected Annual Demand
Packaging	Retail / Professional Packs

If you haven’t yet identified a specific active ingredient, you can start by providing:

Country, major crops, key pests, existing products, and planned sales channels.

This is more useful than simply providing a long list of products.

Manufacturers can first evaluate potential product directions and then proceed with further assessment based on registration status, specifications, packaging, and purchase volume.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many insecticides should a new distributor start with?

There is no single correct number.

The decision should be based on local crops, major pests, registration requirements, budget, and actual sales capacity.

Rather than purchasing a large number of products with overlapping functions all at once, it is better to first establish a basic product line that meets core needs.

Does an insecticide product line need to include both contact and systemic products?

Not necessarily.“Contact” and “Systemic” describe the mode of action or relevant characteristics within the plant, not mandatory commercial product categories that must be included.Whether different types of products are needed should be determined based on target pests, crops, application methods, and local registration requirements.

Does a larger number of IRAC Groups make for a better product line?

Not necessarily.

Only products that are effective against target pests, suitable for local registration and application conditions, and meet actual market demand have portfolio value.

Different IRAC Groups do not automatically guarantee the absence of resistance or cross-resistance issues in a given region.

Can insecticides from the same IRAC Group be sold simultaneously?

Yes.

Different active ingredients may have distinct registered uses, formulations, prices, and target customer segments.

However, if the goal is to support resistance management, simply switching between products within the same group should not be considered sufficient mechanism-of-action rotation.

Does an insecticide product line necessarily need to include combination products?

Not necessarily.

Formulations should be developed based on clear pest control needs and technical justification.

If a formulation merely increases costs or overlaps significantly with existing single-ingredient products, it may not be worth introducing.

Does a product line need to include a dedicated miticide?

If mite problems in the local area have practical economic significance, it is worth evaluating dedicated miticide/acaricide products.

However, selection should be based on mite species, life stages, local resistance, and registration requirements—rather than assuming that all broad-spectrum insecticides can effectively control mite infestations.

Should all new products be registered at once?

It is not recommended to treat “one-time, comprehensive registration” as a universal rule.

A more reasonable approach is to arrange registration in phases based on market demand, registration feasibility, budget, and product priority.

How do you determine whether to phase out a particular SKU?

You can make this determination by considering sales performance, inventory turnover, customer repeat purchases, the degree of product overlap, changes in registration status, and market demand.

If a product consistently lacks clear value over the long term, you should reevaluate whether to continue carrying it.

How often should you review your pesticide product portfolio?

You can conduct regular reviews before and after major sales seasons and make timely adjustments when significant market changes occur.

Particular attention should be paid to pest pressure, resistance trends, product registrations, the competitive landscape, and inventory performance.

Build a Pesticide Product Line Tailored to Local Markets with POMAIS

For pesticide importers and distributors, the goal of building a pesticide portfolio is not to sell as many active ingredients as possible.

Rather, it is to ensure that each product has a clear purpose:

which pest problems it addresses, which customers it serves, in which markets it is legally sold, and why it is worth maintaining in the long term.

POMAIS provides support to international importers, distributors, registration companies, and pesticide brands regarding insecticide products, as well as related formulations, packaging, and export partnerships.

Depending on the specific product and project, we can assist clients in evaluating:

• Insecticide active ingredients and product positioning
• Available formulations and concentrations
• Product specifications and quality requirements
• Technical documentation for registration
• Brand packaging and multilingual labeling
• Sample testing
• Commercial Orders and Long-Term Supply

If you are planning to establish or adjust your local insecticide product line, please provide the following information first:

Target Country + Major Crops + Key Pests + Existing Products + Estimated Purchase Volume.

Based on your needs, we can discuss which products warrant priority evaluation, which functions are already covered, and which candidate products require further verification of registration and technical feasibility.

Contact POMAIS to discuss your pesticide portfolio needs .

A valuable pesticide product line is not determined by the length of the product catalog, but by whether each product addresses real pest control needs and generates sustainable commercial value in the local market.