SEED TREATMENT FUNGICIDES MARKET ANALYSIS

Seed Treatment Fungicides MarketSize and Trends

Market Outlook

• In North America, U.S. is the leading consumer of seed treatment fungicides. Stringent government regulations towards reducing or curbing the use of agrochemicals coupled with increasing consumer awareness towards the presence of fertilizer residues in the produce, has resulted in a substantial increase in demand for seed treatment fungicides. According to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA); smuts and seedling-blight diseases caused in wheat, barley, oats, and others are controlled by seed treatment fungicides, which helps to kill the infections inside the seed during germination. The production of crops as feedstock for biofuels is another major reason for the large-scale use of seed treatment fungicides in North America. For instance, U.S. is a leading producer of maize, which is used for biofuel, thus the use of maize for biofuels drives the demands for seed treatment fungicides in the region.
• Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing region in the seed treatment fungicides market over the forecast period. According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in 2017, China and India are the leading producers of wheat across the globe. This could aid key players such as BASF and Bayer to establish its agrochemicals units in the region and thus, expand their presence. For instance, in August, 2017, BASF introduced the first strobilurin fungicides in the market to provide more control over the fungal pathogens. The other product named Stamina gives wheat and barley seeds the right start in cold conditions with high disease control to deliver a healthier and stronger plant. Other factors such as increasing innovation in generations of fungicides such as strobilurins is expected to fuel growth of the seed treatment fungicides market in Asia Pacific during the forecast period.
• In Latin America, the major part of the country’s GDP is from agricultural sector. Countries such as Brazil and Argentina, are majorly dependent on agriculture, due to which the production of crops such as corn, soybean, sorghum, and others is high. According to United States Department of Agriculture, Brazil corn production was estimated at 94.5 million metric tons in 2017 and Argentina corn production for 2017 is estimated at 36 million metric tons. Hence, farmers are focusing on increasing the use of seed treatment fungicides in order to improve yields and decrease the losses, due to fungus and other external factors. Increasing investments by key players such as Glencore, Cargill, and Bunge for development of advanced products is expected to boost demand for seed treatment fungicides in this region.