21 October 2026, Paraguay: Sumitomo Chemical has launched Velera™, a fungicide containing the active ingredient metyltetraprole, marketed under the trademark Pavecto™, in Paraguay. The launch marks the first commercial introduction of a product containing Pavecto™ outside Japan.
Velera™ has been registered for use on soybeans in Paraguay, where it is intended to control major soybean diseases, including target spot, Cercospora leaf blight, purple seed stain and Septoria brown spot. The product is designed to provide protection against diseases affecting soybean crops, including those that develop later in the growing season.
Pavecto™, the active ingredient in Velera™, has demonstrated efficacy against pathogens resistant to existing quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides, according to Sumitomo Chemical. The company expects the active ingredient to support fungicide resistance management by providing an additional option for controlling resistant pathogens.
The Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC) has established Subgroup 11A under Group 11, which includes QoI fungicides. Sumitomo Chemical identifies Pavecto™ as the only fungicidal active ingredient positioned in this subgroup.
Pavecto™ and products containing the active ingredient have been available in Japan since 2023. Following the launch in Paraguay, Sumitomo Chemical is pursuing registrations for the active ingredient and its formulations in other markets, including Brazil and Europe, where regulatory reviews are ongoing.
The company said it would continue working towards obtaining registrations in additional countries as it expands the international availability of products containing Pavecto™.
Global Agriculture is an independent international media platform covering agri-business, policy, technology, and sustainability. For editorial collaborations, thought leadership, and strategic communications, write to pr@global-agriculture.com
