Amid the drumbeat of dismal economic news from the past year, the market for specialty pesticides has been notable in that its decline was less than most other finished goods products. The agricultural/specialty pesticides markets actually held up well in 2008, but recent quarterly reports from basic producers indicates that the economy has now caught up with crop protection. With the buzz of the biofuels boom behind us, at least temporarily, growth in the agricultural market has tempered somewhat. However, even though consumer spending, consumer confidence, and nearly all other consumer market indicators are down, the consumer pesticides market shows some bright promise in the coming year—ironically, some of it driven by the economic downturn. For manufacturers and service providers in the lawn, garden, and pet products categories, there just may be a touch of silver lining the economic storm cloud. More…
