Fertilizer Market - Forecasts from 2022 to 2027

The fertilizer market is evaluated at US$200.097 billion in 2020, growing at a CAGR of 3.54% reaching a market size of US$255.290 billion by 2027.

A fertilizer is a type of material that is primarily applied to soil or the tissues of plants or crops to supply the necessary nutrients that are essential for the growth of plants. The nutrient capacity of the soil decreases after every harvest, which is replenished by using fertilizers. The primary factors that are driving the market growth include the globally growing demand for food, coupled with a significant decrease in arable land globally.

Rapid urbanization and industrialization are some of the major factors responsible for the reduction of arable land as well as the quality and quantity of the available resources such as land, air, and water, among others. As a result of the limited available resources, an increase in agricultural output is required, which has led farmers to increase their use of fertilizers primarily to increase output. The global population has been rising constantly, and with the increasing global population as well as the urban population, the demand for nutritional food is increasing. Another factor that is bolstering the growth of the fertilizer market is the increasing emphasis on sustainable farming practices across the globe. The use of synthetic fertilizers derived from fossil fuels has led to increased agricultural production on limited arable land across the globe. However, growing awareness and concern over their adverse effects on soil productivity and environmental quality is forcing scientists to discover alternatives such as fertilizers made from organic materials. The use of organic fertilizers leads to sustainable farming, thereby leading to food safety and sustainable crop production.

A Growing global population

One of the key factors supplementing the fertilizer market's growth is the globally growing population. According to the United Nations, the global population is projected to reach 9.7 billion by the year 2050. With the growing population, the economic conditions are also expected to get better day by day, as more and more people will move to cities, which will further job creation. Thus, all these factors are projected to significantly boost the demand for food as the number of undernourished people will decrease in the coming years. As per the reports by the FAO, the demand for cereals, for both food and animal feed uses is projected to reach some 3 billion tonnes by 2050, which was around 2.1 billion tonnes in the year 2009. This population growth is putting pressure on limited available natural resources such as land and water in terms of rapid urbanization and growing food demand. According to FAO statistics, an estimated 821 million people, that is, one out of every nine people in the world, are undernourished. Thus, a need to increase the agricultural output is further amplifying the usage of fertilizers for the enhancement of quality and the quantity of food globally. Since arable land is limited a fact, is anization and industrialization, the expansion of which is considered tougher.

Organic farming is gaining popularity

The growing demand for organic fruits and vegetables in both developed and developing economies has led the focus of farmers toward organic produce. The major factors supplementing the demand for organic products are the growing disposable income coupled with the rising awareness among consumers regarding the effects of various agrochemicals on human health and the environment, which are continuously boosting the demand for organic fruits and vegetables across different regions. This is further expected to propel the business growth opportunities for organic fertilizer manufacturers over the next five years. Moreover, according to the IFOAM Organics International statistics, around 2.8 million organic producers were reported in 2018. Also, a total of 71.5 million hectares of land was organically managed at the end of 2018. This, further shows that farmers around the globe are emphasizing more on organic produce, to tap into thmore e growing potential of that market.

Declining arable land

One of the prime factors supplementing the fertilizer market globally is the significant decrease in the arable land in many parts of the world. Since, fertilizers are essential for the supply of necessary nutrients to the soil as well as plant tissues to replenish their nutritional capabilities, which results in faster and enhanced growth. Arable land is defined as any land that can be plowed and used to grow crops Rapid urbanization and industrialization have together led to a significant decline in available arable land globally. This can be backed up by the fact that according to the data from the World Bank Group, the arable land in many developed economies such as the United States and Japan has declined significantly. In Japan, arable land increased from 4,282,000 hectares in 2010 to 4,184,000 hectares in 2016. Similarly in the United States of America, it decreased from 155,926,203 hectares in 2010 to 152,262,500 hectares by the year 2016 (Source: The World Bank Group).

The fertilizer market has been segmented based on type, crop type, and geography.

By type, the classification of the market has been divided into nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium. By crop type, the segmentation of the market has been done into cereals and grains, fruits and vegetables, oilseeds and pulses, and others. Based on form, the segmentation of the market has been done based on dry and liquid. Geographically, the fertilizer market has been distributed in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific.

Vegetables and fruits are expected to grow rapidly

By crop type, the vegetables and fruits segment is projected to show promising growth over the next five years. The key factors supplementing the growth of this segment include the growing production of vegetables and fruits because there are growing concerns regarding the health benefits of the consumption of fruits. Moreover, the growing demand for organic fruits and vegetables is also bolstering the growth of this segment over the next five years. Furthermore, the growing exports of fruits and vegetables by major producing countries are also adding to the demand for fertilizers. For instance, in Spain, from January to April 2019, the country's fruit and vegetable exports grew by 8 percent in terms of volume and 6 percent in terms of value as compared to the same period of 2018 (Source: Spanish Federation of Association of Producers and Exporters (FEPEX)).

APAC will have a sizable share

Geographically, the Asia Pacific region is projected to hold a substantial market share throughout the years on account of the major agricultural output given by countries such as China and India, among others. Moreover, the presence of a comparatively large population base in the APAC region further leads to increased food demand. in turn, is positively impacting the growth of the fertilizer market in the Asia Pacific region throughout the forecast period.

Competitive Insights

Prominent/major key market players in the fertilizer market include YARA International, The Mosaic Company, and Nutrien, among others. The players in the fertilizer market are implementing various growth strategies to gain a competitive advantage over their competitors in this market. Major market players in the market have been covered along with their relative competitive positions and strategies. The report also mentions recent deals and investments of different market players over the last few years. The company profiles section details the business overview, financial performance (public companies) for the past few years, key products and services being offered, along with the recent deals and investments of these important players in the fertilizer market.

Participation by market players and key developments

There is a high volume of companies working in the fertilizer market. However, some have solidified their position as the leading providers in this industry. These players are involved in a plethora of investments, product launches, and R&D as a part of their growth strategies to further strengthen their position and provide better products and services to their customers worldwide, which is further expected to propel the growth of the market in the coming years.

For instance, the Indian government announced its plans to reduce the dependency on fertilizer imports as a part of its Self-Reliant India scheme and announced the construction of five new fertilizer manufacturing plants across the country by the year 2023 to meet the growing domestic demands.

Yara purchased Finish Colan in September 2021 to grow its organic fertilizer business, demonstrating the company's commitment to a larger position in the organic fertilizer industry.

In May 2020, Wilbur-Ellis Company, Inc., one of the largest family-owned companies in the world, announced the launch of two new potassium fertilizer products, TILL-IT KOMPOUND™ and FOLI-GRO KILO.

Yara East Africa launched Yara Microp, a micronutrient fertilizer, in August 2020 to boost grain yields in Western Kenya. Yara Microp is a nitrogen, phosphorous, ammonia nitrogen, sulfur, and zinc-based combination that helps maize crops develop quicker and yield more.

COVID-19 Impact

The fertilizer business has been greatly impacted by the outbreak of COVID-19 in several parts of the world since the epidemic began. Shipments were impeded by a lack of manpower and the shutdown of several fertilizer facilities in the consolidated chemical complexes during the initial lockdown. China, being the pandemic's epicentre, was hit particularly hard at first. However, the country's situation has stabilized, and all fertilizer production rates have increased. As a result, COVID-19's overall impact on the fertilizer sector appears to be moderate.

Segmentation

• By Type

Organic

Inorganic

• Nitrogen
• Phosphate
• Potassium
• By Crop Type

Cereals & Grains

Fruits & Vegetables

Oilseeds & Pulses

Others

• By Form

Dry

Liquid

• By Geography

North America

• USA
• Canada
• Mexico

South America

• Brazil
• Argentina
• Others

Europe

• Germany
• France
• UK
• Spain
• Italy
• Others

Middle East and Africa

• UAE
• Saudi Arabia
• Others

Asia Pacific

• Japan
• China
• India
• South Korea
• Indonesia
• Thailand
• Australia
• Others