Safex Chemicals to launch its digital app from April 1

Delhi-based Safex Chemicals, which is present in all verticals of the agro-chemicals sector, will launch its digital platform - an app- from April 1, said SK Chaudhary, the company’s Founder-Director.  

The chemical firm will also come out with a new weedicide for soyabean and fungicide for rice that needs to be applied less, Chaudhary told businessline in an online interaction. 

Safex will begin testing the app from February 1 through its employees before farmers, who will be the primary users, can begin downloading from April 1. 

The app will mainly provide crop advisory while Safex will tap its channel partners to sell its products on a business-to-business (B2B) basis. 

Mix of Amazon, Facebook

Last year, Chaudhary said the company’s digital platform will be “a mix of Amazon and Facebook”.  The platform will help manufacturers and dealers to interact directly. 

SK Chaudhary, Founder-Director, Safex Chemicals

The year 2023 was mixed for the agri chemicals sector with many firms down financially despite higher sales volume as prices declined. 

“Those who carried inventories have not done well financially. World-over, 2023 was cloudy with sales declining sharply in Europe, Brazil and the US,” he said. 

On its part, Safex had a mixed year in view of erratic south-west monsoon. “Due to deficient rain, the rabi season has also not been good and it is affecting the industry. Our brand sales grew almost 25 per cent in the first two quarters but the third quarter was flat,” the company’s Founder-Director said. 

Sector down as a whole

Agri-chemical firms which were exposed to exports and international markets had fared badly, whereas those whose businesses were India-centric were not bad, he said. 

“Individual companies’ results may be good or bad, but the agrochemical industry as a whole is down,” said Chaudhary.

During the current rabi season, North India has experienced low rainfall. “There has been no western disturbances in the region and there is no snow in Kashmir. Apple production will go down drastically due to this,” he said.

The agriculture sector is expected to do well in 2024 as the El Nino, which has pushed up global temperature and led to a fourth of India suffering drought, is expected to fade. “The (south-west) monsoon is expected to be normal this year. If that happens, the agriculture sector will do well,” said Chaudhary. 

Cyclical effect

Safex Chemicals is coming up with off-patent products, besides introducing 4-5 new molecules every year.  “We have come with new weedicides currently given by Corteva. We have entered that segment for rice weedicides. They have proven to be effective and given good results,” the company Founder-Director said.   

The Delhi-based company has 3-4 products in the pipeline as it enters the weedicide and fungicide sectors. The firm expanding its plant near Pune has helped in launching new products. 

On climate change, Chaudhary said the agri-chemical sector cannot do much about it. “Irrigation infrastructure is important. Small things can help retain soil moisture. One firm has got a molecule to absorb moisture. We don’t have such a molecule but we will try to have one,” he said. 

Agriculture depends on the weather. So, the sector being affected by the vagaries of weather is a usual cyclical effect.

“It happens in every field of life. Things in agriculture cannot be in a straight line. It has to be a wavy curve. Otherwise, we would not have such progress in the sector,” said Chaudhary. 

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