Agricultural Adjuvants Market Size & Trends
The size of the global agricultural adjuvants market was valued at USD 3.80 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2024 to 2030. Growth in the product market is being driven by rising global demand for crop protection products in the agriculture industry. Approximately 25% of the world’s crop production is lost every year to diseases, pests, and weeds. Crop protection chemicals are vital in maintaining crops, increasing yields, and improving overall production. Moreover, the projected increase in pesticide use is also likely to propel market growth, as a large portion of adjuvants is utilized in pesticide applications.
𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐃𝐅 (Enter Corporate Email ID’ for a Free Sample Report):https://www.marketinsightsresearch.com/request/download/29/55693/global-agriculture-adjuvants-market-by-type-activator-adjuvants-and-utility-adjuvants-by-application-herbicides-fungicides-insecticides-by-crop-type-cereals-oilseeds-etc-by-region-competition-forecast-opportunities
As reported by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global pesticide consumption reached 4.2 million tons in 2019, marking a 11.6% increase since 2009. Over the past decade, this represents a rise of 436 thousand tons in pesticide usage. The FAO also noted a nearly 30% increase in total traded quantities of pesticides in 2020, with the Americas importing the highest value, amounting to USD 6.9 million. This worldwide increase in the use of pesticides is therefore fueling demand for agricultural adjuvants. Yet the growth of the market is hampered by multifaceted regulation by different agencies across the globe on the utilization of agricultural adjuvants.
In Brazil, for example, adjuvants were regulated under the same regime as agrichemicals until 2017 under Law 7,802 guided by Decree 4,074. After 2017, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA) took over responsibility for controlling agricultural adjuvants. Likewise, in Canada, adjuvants are controlled by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), which requires rigorous testing and certification of each adjuvant’s performance and safety when used with every active ingredient intended to be paired with it. These strict controls act as major limiting factors for market expansion. In North America, the United States is the biggest user of these products, with 69.3% of revenue in 2023.
Market Concentration & Characteristics
The market for agricultural adjuvants exhibits moderate concentration, as some big players have huge market shares, with smaller players and niche players also playing their role. Some of the key companies in this industry are Solvay SA, BASF SE, and Dow. In the face of consolidation among the big players, there is still space for specialized and niche players and companies that deal in sustainable solutions. This balance is likely to drive the future growth of the market, counterbalancing the power of large corporations with the specialization and innovation provided by smaller players.
With population growth happening at such a fast rate, farmers face rising pressure to yield more food grains in shorter time periods. In addition, the existing arable land has decreased owing to growing populations, urbanization, and industrialization, adding to the increased need for more agricultural production on smaller areas of land. The problem is specifically alarming for agricultural-based economies like India, whose economy depends greatly on agriculture and allied activities. Therefore, farmers are now increasingly relying on agricultural adjuvants and fertilizers to enhance crop production in limited time spans.
Product Insights
Activator adjuvants product segment is likely to lead the market with a revenue share of about 70.6% in 2023. This increase is due to the improved efficiency of agrochemicals when combined with activator adjuvants that enhance penetration and absorption rates. This results in better control over insects, weeds, or disease. Activator adjuvants are chemical products used for increasing the efficacy of crop protection products. For instance, though herbicides can penetrate and kill off undesirable plants and weeds efficiently, they become much more effective when they are supplemented with activator adjuvants so that the herbicides can penetrate weeds even better.
The utility adjuvants market is forecasted to witness tremendous growth over the forecast period due to the growing use of pesticides to deal with all manner of undesirable factors in farms. This category comprises a variety of utility adjuvants, including buffering agents, compatibility agents, drift control agents, defoaming agents, water conditioning agents, acidifying agents, and deposition agents. These adjuvants are mainly non-pesticidal compounds added to spray mixtures, with the compatibility agents having an important function in crop protection product formulation.
Application Insights
The herbicides application segment is expected to lead the global market with a revenue share of approximately 48.7% in 2023. The increase in this segment is mainly attributed to the extensive application of herbicides, including glyphosate and glufosinate, in global crop cultivation. The insecticides segment is expected to develop at the highest rate during the forecast period. As per the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), insecticides presently hold the highest market share in the Indian agrochemical industry. This expansion is driven by growing demand for insecticides across different crops such as cotton, paddy (rice), fruits, and vegetables.
They are useful in the prevention of early germination pest attacks on different crops. Malathion is an organophosphate (OP) insecticide commonly used in agriculture to suppress a variety of insects, such as Japanese beetles, aphids, and leafhoppers. The worldwide focus on avoiding pest infestations is fueling the development of the insecticide market, which is expected to further enhance demand for associated products.
Source Insights
The worldwide industry is divided into petroleum-based and bio-based segments on the basis of source. In 2023, the petroleum-based segment held the largest market share with the most overall revenue. The segment consists primarily of oil-based adjuvants such as crop oils and crop oil concentrates. Crop oils usually consist of 95%–98% naphtha or paraffin-based petroleum oil and 1%–2% surfactants.
Crop oil concentrates are made of 80%–85% petroleum oil and 15%–20% nonionic surfactants. The bio-based source segment is expected to record the highest growth during the forecast period. Adjuvants made from environmentally friendly and renewable raw materials offer higher biodegradability as well as better human safety relative to their counterparts made from petroleum.
Formulation Insights
On the basis of formulation, the global market is divided into oil-based and other formulations. In 2023, the other formulations segment dominated the market with the maximum share of 78.6% of the total revenue. The segment consists of surfactants and spray adjuvants, which improve the efficiency of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and fertilizers by promoting surface contact, enhancing leaf penetration, and decreasing runoff.
The oil-based product category is anticipated to witness high growth in the future. This category comprises crop oils, vegetable oil concentrates, and crop oil concentrates. These products enable the slow drying of crop protection chemicals applied to crops, leading to better absorption and effectiveness. Consequently, oil-based products are extremely effective in boosting plant yields.
Type By Crop Insights
According to crop type, the global market is divided into conventional crops and organic crops. In 2023, the conventional crops segment dominated the global market, with more than 65.4% of the total revenue. This segment consists of additives for use with insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides to increase their efficiency. These additives may be surfactants, polymers, or chemical and petroleum-based products.
Additives in the traditional crops business improve the physical characteristics of herbicide and pesticide sprays by facilitating uniform dispersion on crops and enhanced uptake. Organic crops is expected to achieve the highest rate of growth for the forecasted period. Organics use considerable amounts of oil for different functions in organic agriculture. Vegetable oil, including sunflower, rapeseed oil, and soybean oil, is widely employed by farmers to serve as natural adjuvants with herbicides and pesticides in order to include hydrophobic substances.
Regional Insights
North America is a highly lucrative growth prospect for the agricultural adjuvants market. This is attributed to the increasing need for different types of agricultural produce, such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, and oilseeds, in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Growth in agricultural land area and production of cereals and food crops in the region are fueling the increased demand for agricultural adjuvants. This is a trend that will persist because the region wishes to improve the yields of its crops and fulfill the increasing food requirements of its population.
U.S Agricultural Adjuvants Market Trends
The American agricultural adjuvants market is a front-runner in creating new agricultural technology, such as advanced adjuvants with improved functionality like better targeting or compatibility with particular pesticides. Precision farming methods, commonly practiced in American agriculture, include the precise application of crop protection chemicals. Adjuvants play a crucial role in these techniques, providing uniform delivery and optimal efficacy on target areas, thus promoting innovations in crop management and productivity.
Asia Pacific Agricultural Adjuvants Market Trends
Asia Pacific was the leading region with a revenue share of more than 37.9% in 2023. The growth is due to Asia Pacific being the biggest producer of agricultural commodities, which is expected to represent 53% of world agricultural product and fish production by 2030, as per the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the FAO. In this region, China is a large consumer as it plays a leading role as an exporter, consumer, and producer of pesticides—a leading application in the product market. Additionally, a study by the University of Melbourne and Zhejiang-based researcher Baojing Gu highlights that China is the largest global consumer of agricultural pesticides, consuming about 30% of the world’s pesticides and fertilizers and fulfilling about 90% of global technical raw material demand.
The market for China agricultural adjuvants is growing on account of the rising focus of growers to maximize the efficacy of crop protection chemicals. This has been propelled by a growing desire for organic products, which in turn has been fueling the demand for green adjuvants. Growing awareness of the nutritional value of organic food is also driving further demand for organic products.
The Indian market for agricultural adjuvants is growing with the rise in the use of crop protection chemicals in developing countries. The need for equipment that improves crop efficiency is driving the growth of the agricultural activator adjuvants market. Increasing income levels in rural and urban regions, along with an increased demand for agricultural commodities, are also driving this trend. Indian farmers are increasingly using advanced methods and technologies to enhance crop yields and productivity, which is also fueling the demand for agricultural adjuvants.
Europe Agricultural Adjuvants Market Trends
Europe is likely to witness considerable growth during the forecast period. While crop production has been dwindling in some European nations over the past few years, various countries have recorded growth in certain crop segments. For example, in November 2021, a report by the USDA observed that the overall wheat output in Russia had increased to 74.5 million metric tons, an improvement in the country’s wheat production. The market’s development is mostly based on the demand to improve crop yield and efficiency of production as the population rises and the land for cultivation reduces. Therefore, the growing agricultural output and shrinking arable land of the region are propelling demand for crop protection chemicals, and in turn, the demand for associated products.
The German agricultural adjuvants market is likely to develop extensively with the growing requirement for improving crop yield and farming efficiency in the face of a growing population and declining land areas for cultivation. The region’s increasing agricultural production with shrinking farm lands is creating a demand for crop protection chemicals, thereby driving demand for agricultural adjuvants.
The UK agri-adjuvants market is changing towards high-value crops like fruits, vegetables, and specialty crops. Such crops demand higher protection from diseases and pests, and this increases the demand for adjuvants to enhance the efficiency of crop protection chemicals. Also, the focus on sustainable agricultural methods in the UK is enhancing the use of natural source adjuvants or those that are less environmentally burdensome. This trend is part of a larger movement towards sustainable farming practices.
