Insecticides: Overview
Why fruit and vegetables get the most insecticide sprays
What this tab covers What the chemical is, how big its market is, what it is used for (with shares, volumes, why it wins and what could replace it), and its chain from raw material to end user. Ends with three things to remember.Insecticides protect crops from insects such as bollworms, stem borers, aphids and fall armyworm. They are about a quarter of a crop protection market of $66-85 billion in 2025, depending on the publisher (indicative). The main classes are pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, diamides and organophosphates, plus a growing biological segment. Most volume is generic and made in China and India from chlorinated pyridines, phosphorus chemicals and fluorinated building blocks. Insecticides are the most hazardous pesticide class for people and pollinators, so regulation removes old molecules and makes room for new ones.
Volume about 0.6-0.8 Mt of active ingredient a year (indicative, basis: about a fifth of world pesticide use of about 3.7 Mt a.i. in 2022, FAOSTAT) Market value about $16-21 billion (2025, indicative, basis: about 24-26% of a $66-85 billion crop protection market) Growth about 2-4% a year in value (indicative); biologicals grow faster AgroPages via AgriMarketing (Mar 2025); HNY Research via DRI (Apr 2026); Spherical Insights (2026); FAOSTAT (indicative)Key uses
| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit and vegetables | 30% | about $5.6 billionbasis | High-value crops justify frequent sprays against aphids, whiteflies, thrips and caterpillars. Residue limits push growers towards diamides, spinosyns and biologicals that leave less residue. indicative share | biological control and pheromones netting and protected cultivation Bt crops where approved |
| Soybeans | 15% | about $2.8 billionbasis | Brazil's stink bugs and caterpillars need repeated sprays; diamides and pyrethroid-neonicotinoid mixtures are widely used. indicative share | Bt soybean (Intacta) biological insecticides |
| Rice | 12% | about $2.3 billionbasis | Stem borers, leaf folders and planthoppers in Asian rice; chlorantraniliprole granules and buprofezin are common in India. indicative share | resistant varieties light traps Trichogramma egg parasitoids |
| Cotton | 10% | about $1.9 billionbasis | Pink bollworm resistance to Bt cotton in India and whitefly pressure keep spray counts high. indicative share | mating disruption (PB-Rope) new Bt traits short-duration varieties |
| Maize and cereals | 15% | about $2.8 billionbasis | Fall armyworm, which spread from the Americas to Africa and Asia from 2016, lifted insecticide use in maize; seed treatments protect against soil pests. indicative share | Bt maize biologicals early planting |
| Seed treatment, non-crop and public health | 18% | about $3.4 billionbasis | Neonicotinoid and diamide seed coatings, termite control, mosquito nets and indoor residual spraying, stored-grain fumigants. indicative share | biological seed treatments non-chemical vector control |
From raw material to user
- Base chemicals Benzene, toluene and pyridine from oil and coal; chlorine; phosphorus trichloride and phosphorus pentasulphide; bromine; HF for fluorinated groups.
- Key intermediates 2-chloro-5-chloromethylpyridine (CCMP) for imidacloprid and acetamiprid, cyclopropane acid chlorides for pyrethroids, pyrazole and anthranilamide blocks for diamides.
- Technical synthesis Multistep batch chemistry to 95-98% technical in China and India; diamides need about 8-10 steps (indicative).
- Formulation EC, SC, WG and granules; e.g. chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC or 0.4% GR for rice.
- Distribution Seasonal sale through distributors; India's domestic market is insecticide-heavy, while exports lean to herbicides (Rubix 2025).
Made from (commodity table)
Oil Crude oilThree things to know
- The EU banned outdoor use of three neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam) in 2018 because of risks to bees (European Commission, 2018).
- Insecticide manufacture emits about 19 kg CO2e per kg of active ingredient, about 7 times the 2.8 t CO2e of a tonne of ammonia, tonne for tonne (Field to Market, Audsley 2009; ammonia tile).
- The US and Brazil have been the top two destinations for India's insecticide and fungicide exports for five years (Rubix, Jun 2025).