Agrochemicals

During the 1960's, following actual focusing on the development of agriculture and food production in Serbia, significant investments were made in the construction of new and modern facilities for manufacturing of chemical fertilizers and pesticides (both active substances and formulations).
At the beginning of 1990’s Serbia had capacities for production of around 3.5 x 106 tpy of different chemical fertilizers, or about 1 million tpy of the content of active substances.
Unfortunately, production of phosphorous and potassium based fertilizers in the companies ZORKA-MINERALNA DJUBRIVA from Sabac and IHP from Prahovo has almost completely stopped today. The only high-tonnage manufacturer that is currently active is the company HIP-AZOTARA with its assortment of nitrogenous and complex fertilizers. In this field of its manufacturing activity HIP-AZOTARA has the following production plants at its location in Pancevo: 400,000 tpy of ammonium nitrate limestone (27% N), 100,000 tpy of urea (46% N) and 200,000 tpy of formulated products. However, HIP-AZOTARA is periodically faced with the deficit of imported natural gas that results in low-level rate of capacity utilization.
Periodically active manufacturers of compost and mixed fertilizers are the companies AZOTARA in Subotica and AGROHEM in Novi Sad.

The following quantities of chemical fertilizers were manufactured by the local companies in 2004:
• Urea (46% N) 63,615 tons
• Amonium nitrate 204,602 tons
• Other nitrogenous fertilizers 361,932 tons
• Superphospates, powdered 1,398 tons
• Other phosphatic fertilizers 5,897 tons
• Compost fertilizers 261,953 tons
• Mixed fertilizers 20,879 tons
• Other chemical fertilizers 58 tons

The serious drop of production activities resulted in fact that Serbia, who was a very large net exporter of fertilizers only 15 years ago, today is a very large net importer of those chemical products. In 2004, the import of fertilizers reached level of 497.3 thousand tons in the value of 89.1 million $.
The greatest investments in the field of plant protection chemicals have been made in the following companies: ZUPA from Krusevac, ZORKA-ZASTITA BILJA from Sabac, ZORKA-ATH from Subotica and FITOFARMACIJA from Zemun. The record performance (production at the level of more than 6,000 tpy active substances and more than 25,000 tpy preparations as well as foreign-trade surplus) was reached during the 1980's.
ZUPA has been focused on the developing of production assortment of dithiocarbamates used as fungicides (Zineb, Ziram), other active substances for fungicides (Tiram) and herbicides (Atrazine) and liquid herbicides. Total installed capacities for production of pesticides in ZUPA amount to 5,000 tpy. The company ZUPA is the largest domestic producer of pesticides with an average annual output of 400-500 tpy of insecticides, 900-1,000 tpy of herbicides and over 1,000 tpy of fungicides. ZUPA is the leader in the production of fungicides, with the share of over 70% in domestic supplies, and in the production of herbicides, with the share of around 40% in domestic supplies.
On the other hand, the company ZORKA-ZASTITA BILJA from Sabac has been focused on production of sulphur based plant protection agents, triazines and other active substances used in formulations of herbicides and all kinds of formulated pesticides. This company has manufacturing facilities on two production sites, in Sabac and Ruma.
The company FITOFARMACIJA from Zemun has production capacities which amount to 5,000 tpy of insecticides, formulated herbicides and zinc phosphide. Currently, this company produces around 2,000 tpy of different pesticides. FITOFARMACIJA is the leader in the production of insecticides, with the share of around 30% in the current domestic supplies.
The company AGROHEM from Novi Sad is present at a more serious level in the production of herbicides (almost 200 tpy), and the company ZORKA-KLOTILD 1904 from Subotica in the production of insecticides (over 200 tpy).

Production of More Important Agricultural Chemicals :

During the last decade of 20th century the performance of this production sector was very poor and output declined continuously. Thus, Serbia soon became growing net-importer of pesticides, which it is still today. The import of pesticides was at level around 26 million $ in 2002 vs. only around 3 million $ of export. Already in 2004, only the import of insecticides was at level of 28.3 million $.
Today, production of pesticides and other plant nutrients exists in about ten domestic companies, including recently founded private firms manufacturing mainly formulated insecticides. There are around 60,000 tpy available domestic capacities for the production of pesticides and plant nutrients (excluding the available capacities for production of copper sulphate and other protection agents based on copper’s compounds). Domestic consumption of plant protection agents is currently at level from 13,000 to 14,000 tons annualy.