随着多种市场力量改变行业结构，农业化学市场出现缺口 that was quick to be filled by a number of companies which focused not on discovery, but on efficient production and marketing of molecules that were no longer protected by patents. These companies differ greatly, and may guide their businesses by achieving registrations of generic ag-chems in underserved markets, by purchasing rights to products from patent-holders, or by simply manufacturing and selling their products at a lower cost than the original providers. The one similarity that bands these companies together is their business models: unlike the majors’, they do not engage in the discovery of novel chemistries.
While post-patent suppliers are not new, their presence among the top tier of ag-chem companies is. In 2005, three of the Top 10 ag-chem companies by sales (Makhteshim-Agan Industries, Nufarm, and Arysta LifeSciences) all had a large part of their sales stem from post-patent products. A number of other companies, including Cheminova, Sipcam-Oxon, Chemtura, Cerexagri, Gowan Co., and United Phosphorus Ltd. all ranked among the world’s largest ag-chem companies. Beyond them, a large number of smaller manufacturers, formulators, and international traders have established themselves as serious marketing forces. Their presence is now entrenched enough that the multinationals all have formulated strategies for handling competition from post-patent producers.
然而，这一趋势也让该行业面临一系列新问题。对于靠效率和低成本生产赚取利润的公司来说，价格侵蚀是迅速而严重的。对于像草甘膦这样的流行产品，几乎所有的价值都可以在短短几年内从产品中吸走。这给后专利公司留下了寻找成为可持续发展企业的方法的挑战。许多人已经这样做了；其他人面临艰难的斗争。