MULTAN, Aug 9: An intensive marketing competition for a popular pesticide of the Chinese origin has been kicked off as a court in Lahore vacated the stay order against its import in the country other than a particular firm.

Emamectin Benzoate has been a popular pesticide in the country for a last couple of years, especially against a host of economically pernicious bollworms of the cotton plant. So far, only one firm had its import and marketing licence under a brand name but this year the federal government allowed its import under generic name as well.

A number of pesticides firms have got registered them with the Department of Plant Protection for the import of Emamectin Benzoate. However, the firm importing the chemistry under brand name challenged further registration of Emamectin Benzoate on the ground that its Chinese manufacturer had given it the sole selling rights in Pakistan.

The Chinese firm Hebei Vian Bio-Chemical Co. on the other hand pleaded that it had given the sole selling rights under an agreement only for the brand name rather the generic name and that the agreement in this regard had also expired on June 30 this year.

Apart from the Chinese firm, the plaintiff firm had made respondents the DPP, the Karachi collector customs and some six pesticides firms who have been given the import licence for Emamectin Benzoate this year.

Two of the respondent pesticide firms argued before the court that they were importing the product from the manufacturers other than the Chinese Hebei Vian and, therefore, they had been wrongly implicated in the litigation.

Hence, the court in Lahore rejected on Saturday last the application for temporary injunction (on import of the pesticides) while the further proceedings into the matter would come up on next date of hearing, that is, Sept 2, 2005.

Earlier, the court had stayed import and registration of Emamectin Benzoate up to Sept 2. However, the Chinese firm and some of the newly-registered importers of the product had filed separate applications to withdraw the injunction.

With vacation of the stay order, the importers of the product have launched extensive marketing campaign announcing drastic reduction in the price.

The price of the 400ml pack of the product has come down to Rs 495 from Rs 1,285 a day earlier.

A number of growers’ organizations have welcomed the permission of Emamectin Benzoate’s import under generic name, saying the availability of inputs at fair prices will automatically reduce their cost of production.