Agricultural Adjuvants Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Activator Adjuvant, Utility Adjuvant), By Application, By Source, By Formulation, By Type By Crop, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2024 - 2030

Agricultural Adjuvants Market Size & Trends

The global agricultural adjuvants market size was estimated at USD 3.80 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2024 to 2030. The growth of the product market is attributed to the rise in demand for crop protection products in agricultural fields across the globe. Approximately 25% of the world’s crop output is lost yearly due to diseases and attacks by pests and weeds. Crop protection chemicals are vital in protecting crops and enhancing crop yield and production. Pesticide consumption is also expected to drive market growth, as most adjuvants are used in pesticides.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global pesticide consumption was 4.2 million tons in 2019, an increase of 11.6% from 2009. Pesticide consumption has increased by 436 thousand tons over the last decade. Furthermore, total traded quantities of pesticides increased by around 30% in 2020, with America importing most pesticides worth USD 6.9 million. Thus, the global increase in pesticide consumption boosts demand for agricultural adjuvants. However, major restraining factors for market growth are different regulations regarding various global authorities' use of agricultural adjuvants.

In Brazil, until 2017, adjuvant regulation was the same as agricultural regulation (Law 7,802 regulated by Decree 4,074). After 2017, Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA) undertook regulations on agricultural adjuvants. In addition, adjuvants in Canada are regulated by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), which ensures each adjuvant is adequately tested and proven effective and safe with every active ingredient with which it is to be used. Thus, all these stringent regulations are acting as a restraining factor in the growth of the market. The U.S. is the largest product consumer in North America, with a revenue share of 69.3% in 2023.

This is attributed to the fact that the U.S. is one of the top ten food-producing countries in the world, with significant production of maize, soybean, sorghum, blueberry, soybean, and almond. This, in turn, fuels the expansion of the country's market. Moreover, the presence of some key product manufacturers in the U.S. significantly impacts the country's market growth. It decreases the dependency of the U.S. on other countries for importing agrochemicals. Farmers and companies operating in the agriculture sector of the U.S. can directly order agrochemicals within their domestic market.

Market Concentration & Characteristics

The agricultural adjuvants market exhibits characteristics of moderate concentration, meaning a few major players hold a significant share of the market, but there's also a presence of smaller and niche players. Some of the key product manufacturers include Solvay SA, BASF SE, Dow, etc. Overall, the agricultural adjuvants market is likely to see continued consolidation among major players, but there will also be space for niche players and those focused on sustainable solutions.

Due to the population explosion, farmers must quickly produce more food grains. Also, the sizes of arable lands have shrunk due to the growing population, urbanization, and industrialization, further increasing pressure on farmers to produce more on less available land. This is a massive concern for agriculture-based economies, such as India, which is highly dependent on agriculture and related activities. Thus, farmers resort to using agricultural adjuvants and fertilizers to increase yield in a short span of time.

Pesticide consumption is expected to drive the adjuvant market, as most are used in pesticides. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global pesticide consumption was 4.2 million tons in 2019, an increase of 11.6% from 2009. Pesticide consumption has risen by 436 thousand tons over the last decade. Furthermore, according to the FAO, total traded quantities of pesticides increased by around 30% in 2020, with America importing the most pesticides worth USD 6.9 million. The global increase in pesticide consumption is a rising demand for agricultural adjuvants.

Product Insights

The activator adjuvants product segment dominated the market with a revenue share of around 70.0% in 2023. This growth is attributed to the fact that agrochemicals exhibit increased penetration and absorption rates when applied with an activator adjuvant, which helps them offer better control over insects, weeds, or diseases. Activator adjuvants are chemical products that allow a crop protection product to perform better. Herbicides, for instance, can enter and kill unwanted plants and weeds; however, herbicides enter weeds more readily when activator adjuvants are added to herbicides.

The utility adjuvants segment is also expected to overgrow over the forecast period. This growth is attributed to the increasing use of pesticides to limit the development of various unwanted things in the cropland. There are multiple types of utility adjuvants based on their application. The segment includes compatibility agents, buffering agents, drift control agents, water conditioning agents, defoaming agents, deposition agents, and acidifying agents. Utility adjuvants are majorly non-pesticide product adjuvants that are tank-mixed in spray solution. Compatibility agents are extensively used to formulate crop protection products among utility adjuvants.

Application Insights

The herbicides application segment is anticipated to dominate the global market, with a revenue share of around 48% in 2023. This growth is attributed to the widespread use of herbicides such as glyphosate and glufosinate in crop production worldwide. The insecticides segment is expected to grow fastest over the forecast period. According to the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), insecticides account for the largest market share in the Indian agrochemical market. This growth can be attributed to increasing product demand for various crops, such as cotton, paddy (rice crop), fruits, and vegetables. 

They are found effective in preventing early germination pest attacks in various crops. Malathion is a commonly known organophosphate (OP) insecticide. It is mainly used in the agricultural sector for different food and crops to control multiple types of insects, such as Japanese beetles, aphids, and leafhoppers. Globally, increasing focus on preventing pest attacks on crops is driving insecticide market growth, which, in turn, is expected to propel product demand.

Source Insights

The global industry has been further categorized into petroleum-based and bio-based segments based on source. The petroleum-based source segment dominated the international market in 2023 and accounted for the highest overall revenue share. These majorly include oil-based adjuvants. Common examples of these adjuvants are crop oils and crop oil concentrates. Crop oils have 95%-98% naphtha or paraffin-based petroleum oil and 1-2% surfactants.

Crop oil concentrates are 80-85% petroleum-based oil and 15-20% non-ionic surfactants. The bio-based source segment is expected to witness the fastest growth rate over the forecast period. These are made from renewable and environment-friendly raw materials. They are more biodegradable and offer a higher safety level to humans than their petroleum-based counterparts.

Formulation Insights

Based on formulation, the market has been further categorized into oil-based and other formulations. The different formulations segment dominated the global market in 2023, accounting for 78.6% of the overall revenue. It includes surfactants and spray adjuvants. They enhance the performance of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, fertilizers, etc., by increasing their surface contact, improving their leaf penetration, and reducing their runoff.

The oil-based formulations segment is projected to grow significantly during the forecast period. Oil-based formulations can be further classified into crop oil concentrates, crop oils, and vegetable oil concentrates. They enable the slow drying of crop protection products applied to plants, resulting in their improved absorption by plants, thereby making them highly effective in improving plant yields.

Type By Crop Insights

Based on type by crop, the global industry has been further categorized into conventional and organic crops. The conventional crops segment dominated the market in 2023 and accounted for a maximum share of over 65.0% of overall revenue. It includes additives used with insecticides, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides to make them highly effective. They are either surfactants and polymers or chemical and petroleum-based additives.

They help improve the physical properties of pesticide and herbicide sprays by ensuring their even distribution on plants and increased absorption. The organic crops segment is estimated to register the fastest growth rate during the forecast period. Oils are used for a wide range of applications in organic agriculture. Farmers use vegetable oils, such as soybean, sunflower, and rapeseed oil, as organic adjuvants with pesticides and fertilizers to add hydrophobic material to them.

Regional Insights

North America offers a lucrative growth opportunity for the agricultural adjuvants market. The rising demand for agricultural products such as cereals, fruits and vegetables, and oil and pulses in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Mexico.  The increase in agricultural land coupled with the increasing production of cereals and food crops in the region has resulted in propelling the demand for agricultural adjuvants in the region.

U.S. Agricultural Adjuvants Market Trends

The US market is a major player in developing new and advanced agricultural technologies.  This includes novel adjuvants that offer improved functionality, like better targeting or compatibility with specific pesticides. American agriculture is embracing precision farming techniques that involve targeted application of crop protection chemicals. Adjuvants play a crucial role in these methods by ensuring uniform distribution and maximizing impact on target areas.

Asia Pacific Agricultural Adjuvants Market Trends

Asia Pacific emerged as a dominating region with a revenue share of over 37% in 2023. This growth is attributed to Asia Pacific being the largest producer of agricultural commodities, accounting for 53% of the global agricultural product and fish output by 2030, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the FAO. China emerged as a significant consumer of products in the region. This is because China is a major exporter, consumer, and producer of pesticides, which is a substantial product market application. According to the University of Melbourne and Baojing Gu, a Zhejiang-based researcher, China is the world's largest agricultural pesticide consumer. It consumes approximately 30% of the global pesticides and fertilizers and meets around 90% of the global technical raw material requirements.

The agricultural adjuvants market in China has a rising emphasis among growers in China to improve the effectiveness of crop protection products, which is driving the demand for agricultural adjuvants. The deliberate choice of Chinese consumers to purchase organic goods has boosted the demand for green adjuvants. The growing awareness of the nutritional value of organic food products has created a new demand for agricultural adjuvants.

The India agricultural adjuvants market has increasing deployment of crop protection chemicals in developing economies, including India, is pushing the demand for agricultural adjuvants. There is a growing demand for tools that help drive crop efficiency, which is expected to assist in the agricultural activator adjuvants market growth. The rising income levels in rural and urban areas in India, along with the increasing demand for agricultural products across the nation, have contributed to the growing demand for agricultural adjuvants. Farmers are adopting cutting-edge techniques and technologies to improve crop yields and productivity, which further stimulates the market.

Europe Agricultural Adjuvants Market Trends

The European agricultural adjuvants market is primarily driven by the growing need to improve crop yield and production efficiency due to the rising population and shrinking farmland. Countries such as France, Germany, the UK, and Italy were the major contributors to the regional market in 2023. However, countries such as Bulgaria, Spain, and Romania, among others, have seen rapid growth in agriculture due to increased agricultural investment and better water conservation techniques. Thus, the region's increasing agricultural production and shrinking farming land drive demand for crop protection chemicals, which in turn is demand for agricultural adjuvants.

The Germany agricultural adjuvants market will also witness significant growth over the forecast period. The market is primarily driven by the growing need to improve crop yield and production efficiency due to the rising population and shrinking farmland. Thus, the region's increasing agricultural production and shrinking farming land drive demand for crop protection chemicals, which, in turn, drives product demand.

UK Agricultural Adjuvants Market Trends

The UK agricultural sector is experiencing a shift towards high-value crops like fruits, vegetables, and specialty crops. These crops often require more protection from pests and diseases, creating a demand for adjuvants that enhance the efficacy of crop protection chemicals for these specific crops. The UK government and many farmers are actively promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Adjuvants that are derived from natural sources or have a lower environmental footprint are gaining traction in this market.

Central & South America Agricultural Adjuvants Market Trends

Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia are significant contributors to the growth of the agricultural adjuvants market in Central & South America. The substantial increase in the agriculture sector, mainly in Brazil, due to the increasing demand for agrochemicals in Brazil to enhance the production of Brazilian soybean is the key driving factor for the growth of the agricultural adjuvants market in Central & South America. The trade war between the U.S. and China has instrumented China to impose high tariffs on the imports of soybeans and other agricultural products from the U.S. in response to increased tariffs by the country on China-manufactured products. This has resulted in an increased demand for Brazil-produced soybeans from China.

Brazil Agricultural Adjuvants Market Trends

Growers in Brazil are placing a greater emphasis on improving the effectiveness of crop protection products. This has led to a higher demand for agricultural adjuvants, which are supplement substances added to spray mixtures to enhance the performance properties of chemicals. The rising incomes in Brazil have led to an increased demand for meat and eggs. This has resulted in the expansion of the mixed-feed industry and an increased demand for crops such as corn, which are used as feed for the fast-growing poultry and hog industries.

Middle East & Africa Agricultural Adjuvants Market Trends

The Middle East and Africa agricultural adjuvants market is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period. Pesticide consumption is increasing in Saudi Arabia and Oman, and this trend is expected to prevail steadily in South Africa, Kuwait, and Qatar. The increasing demand for food crops coupled with pesticide and insecticide usage is, in turn, driving the demand for agricultural adjuvants in the region.

Saudi Arabia Agricultural Adjuvants Market Trends

The adoption of high-tech farming practices, such as precision agriculture, hydroponics, and vertical farming, has been on the rise in Saudi Arabia. These practices maximize yields in controlled environments and require the use of specialized agrochemicals, including agricultural adjuvants. There has been a notable shift toward greenhouse production in Saudi Arabia. Greenhouses provide a controlled environment for growing crops, allowing for year-round production and protection from harsh climatic conditions.

Key Agricultural Adjuvants Company Insights

Some key players operating in the market include Solvay S.A., Dow, BASF SE, and Croda International among others.

• Solvay is an advanced materials and specialty chemicals company that is committed to developing chemistry to address key societal challenges The company operates in various sectors, including agriculture, automotive, construction, consumer goods and healthcare, electronics, resources, environment, energy, and industrial applications  Solvay believes in science and process innovation, and it is informed by and contributes to megatrends in these sectors

• BASF SE is a chemical company headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany. It operates in various segments, including Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care, and Agricultural Solutions BASF is known for its production, marketing, and sales of chemicals, plastics, crop protection products, and performance products. The company serves a wide range of industries, including construction, furniture and wood, agriculture, electronics and electrical, paints and coatings, automotive, home care, nutrition, and more

Nufarm Limited, Ingevity, etc are some emerging participants in the market.

• Nufarm Limited is an Australian agricultural chemical company that specializes in manufacturing and marketing crop protection solutions and seed technologies. The company was established in 1956 by Max Fremder and is currently headquartered in Melbourne, Australia Nufarm operates globally and holds more than 2,100 product registrations, marketing its products in over 100 countries The company focuses on providing farmers and growers with the right products at the right time, partnering with distributors to meet their needs across the crop life-cycle.

• Ingevity is a global specialty chemicals and materials company that focuses on providing high-performance products and solutions to a wide range of industries. The company was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in North Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Ingevity operates in two main segments: Performance Materials and Performance Chemicals.

Recent Developments

• In April 2023, Evonik developed two novel adjuvants, BREAK-THRU® MSO MAX 522 and TEGO XP 11134, to enhance efficacy and reduce drift for drone applications of agriculture inputs. These novel adjuvants are based on innovative blends of polyether-trisiloxanes with other components.

• In September 2023, Croda launched the new product Atlo BS-50, a delivery system that specifically meets the needs of the growing biopesticide market.

Agricultural Adjuvants Market Report Scope

Report Attribute	Details
Market size value in 2024	USD 3.97 billion
Revenue forecast in 2030	USD 5.25 billion
Growth rate	CAGR of 4.7% from 2024 to 2030
Actual data	2018 - 2023
Forecast period	2024 - 2030
Quantitative units	Volume in tons, revenue in USD million/billion, and CAGR from 2023 to 2030
Report coverage	Volume and revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends
Segments covered	Product, application, source, formulation, type by crops, region
Regional scope	North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Central & South America, Middle East & Africa
Country scope	U.S.; Canada; Mexico; Germany; UK; France; Italy; China; India; Japan; Australia; Brazil; Argentina; Colombia; South Africa; Saudi Arabia; UAE
Key companies profiled	Clariant AG; Solvay SA; The Dow Chemical Company; Huntsman International LLC; Evonik Industries AG; Ingevity; Nufarm Ltd.; Corteva Agriscience; Croda International PLC; BASF SE; Miller Chemical & Fertilizer, LLC; Helena Chemical Company; Winfield United; Wilbur-Ellis Holdings, Inc.; Stepan Company
Customization scope	Free report customization (equivalent up to 8 analysts working days) with purchase. Addition or alteration to country, regional & segment scope.
Pricing and purchase options	Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. Explore purchase options

Global Agricultural Adjuvants Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global agricultural adjuvants market report based on product, application, source, formulation, type by crops, and region:

• Product Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Activator Adjuvants

    • Surfactants

    • Oil-based Adjuvants

  • Utility Adjuvants

    • Compatibility Agents

    • Drift Control Agents

    • Buffering Agents

    • Water Conditioning Agents

    • Others

• Application Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Herbicides

  • Insecticides

  • Fungicides

  • Others

• Source Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Petroleum-based

  • Bio-based

• Formulation Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Oil-based

  • Others

• Type By Crop Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Organic

    • Cereals & Grains

    • Oilseeds & Pulses

    • Fruits & Vegetables

    • Others

  • Conventional

    • Cereals & Grains

    • Oilseeds & Pulses

    • Fruits & Vegetables

    • Others

• Region Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • UK

    • France

    • Italy

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • Australia

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

    • Columbia

  • Middle East & Africa

    • South Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE