Agricultural Inoculants Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Agricultural Inoculants Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The Global Agricultural Inoculants Market is anticipated to register a CAGR of 12.4%, during the forecast period (2021-2026). In the year 2020 it has been found that COVID-19 has an impact on the whole process from the inoculants production to the consumer. COVID-19 resulted in the movement restrictions of workers, decline in demand from farmers, and closure of production facilities. With the shutdowns, the production cost increased with less availability of labor and inputs, while the crop prices received by the US producers have fallen. This limited the demand for crop protection chemicals, including bioherbicides and inoculants, in the region.

There is a rise in the demand and popularity of sustainable agriculture through organic farming. Additionally, Various government initiatives promote the adoption of inoculants to spread awareness of microbial inoculants globally. For example, FERTIBIO, an Italian Operational Group, uses microorganisms and biomaterials to develop innovative bio inoculants to cultivate food and feed crops. All these factors are anticipated to boost the market growth.

Bacterial incolunats are observed to be widely used. The popular genera used are Bradyrhizobium, Sinorhizobium, Azorhizobium, Mesorhizobium, andAllorhizobium. Majority of the bacteria-based bio-inoculants used are Rhizobium-based, which constitute a major portion of the global demand. By geography, North America dominates the market and Europe is the second-largest market for agricultural inoculants, in terms of production and consumption. However, currently, the developing countries of Asia-Pacific are the fastest-growing markets for agricultural inoculants.

The top players in the market are BASF SE, Rizobacter, Premier Tech, and Novozymes. BASF SE is found to be a dominant player in the market in 2020, followed by Rizobacter Argentina SA. These companies were involved in various mergers and acquisitions, expansion, and product innovation.

Key Market TrendsPopularity of Organic and Environment-friendly Farming Practices

Currently, agricultural practices are witnessing a shift in trend, from conventional to organic farming. This shift can be attributed to reasons like; growing health consciousness and concerns about environmental safety, soil health, and agricultural sustainability. Organic compost, manure, and agricultural inoculants are used in organic farming. According to the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), the area under organic cultivation increased from 57.8 million hectares in 2016 to 72.3 million hectares in 2019. This indicates the growing demand for organic solutions such as inoculants. This has led to increased investments in localized research, involvement of private and public sectors in the production of these inoculants, the establishment of effective regulations, and the promotion of a favorable environment for the growth of the market.Around 186 countries practice organic agriculture. This rising acreage coupled with consumer's demand for clean products is expected to influence the agricultural inoculants market.

In modern agriculture, the use of fertilizers and pesticides is found to be very high, and this is causing critical problems, such as soil pollution, microbial imbalance, reduction in soil fertility and productivity, and loss of natural biocontrol agents and beneficial organisms. Additionally, the emerging resistance in insects is driving interest in these alternatives. Therefore, agricultural inoculants play an important role in ensuring plant health, soil fertility, and agricultural sustainability.

North America Dominates the Market

North America accounted for the largest share in the production and consumption of agricultural inoculants. North America is developing new agricultural technologies and successfully applying those in domestic farming systems. Most agricultural inoculants are used in oilseeds crops and maize. Soybean inoculation at planting is more common in the United States. In the United States, soil inoculants are registered for use by the USEPA (the United States Environment Protection Agency). The increasing cost of chemical inputs, their adverse effect on soil mass and the environment. Hence, the demand for agricultural inoculants is anticipated to rise in the future due to the faster adoption of new technologies to increase crop productivity while minimizing the negative impact on the environment.

Considering the market potential of the agricultural inoculants in the region, companies are investing to gain a stronger foothold in the market and to cater to the soaring demand. For instance, in 2017, BASF expanded its manufacturing facilities in Saskatoon for biological inoculants production. The company has invested approximately CAD 10 million (USD 8 million) in the expansion project.

Competitive Landscape

The agricultural inoculant market is fragmented. Few international players having a diverse and expanding product portfolio to occupy a higher market share which can be attributed to their highly diversified product portfolios and the large number of acquisitions and agreements that they are engaged in. The major players are also focusing on R&D activities, expansion of product portfolios, geographical expansion and aggressive acquisition strategies.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

Companies Mentioned

Advanced Biological Marketing Inc.
BASF SE
Premier Tech
Lallemond Inc.
Novozymes
Mapleton Agri Biotec Pty Ltd
Rizobacter
New Edge Microbials Pty Ltd
T.Stanes & Company Limited
AEA Investors (Verdesian Life Sciences LLC)

Please note: This publisher does offer titles that are created upon receipt of order. If you are purchasing a PDF Email Delivery option above, the report will take approximately 2 business days to prepare and deliver.