Italy Crop Protection Chemical Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Italy Crop Protection Chemical Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The Italy crop protection chemical market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.5% during the forecast period.

• The growth in food production can be achieved with the use of more farmland and an increase in yield per hectare (ha). One of the important means to bring about a high yield per ha is the use of plant protection products (PPPs), such as herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, which help protect plants from harmful pests, diseases, and weeds.
• In Italy, biocontrol is used to specifically control weeds, illnesses, and pests. In Europe, all field crops use precision agriculture methods. New plant breeding techniques also show widespread benefits for crop protection on all indicators apart from biodiversity, where a neutral impact is indicated. Unfortunately, because of ethical issues, the European Union will not be able to use new genetic and breeding technology in 2050. This indicates that there will be a huge demand for agrochemicals in the future.
• Italy is relatively stricter about the use of chemical fertilizers. This growing concern for more sustainable management is among the reasons of the fast growth of organic wine production, thus, promoting the usage of botanical pesticides, such as pyrethrin, azadirachtin, and Spinosad, in the country. ​This will create an opportunity to make country bio-based and further tends to develop the growth of the market in the coming years.

In many OECD countries, such as Italy, farmers face consumers who are skeptical about the sustainability of modern farming systems. Farmers are sensitive to these concerns, and most of them are actively involved in various strategies to achieve greater agricultural sustainability. The use of pesticides has been reduced dramatically, and the use of integrated crop protection methods has increased and pushing the country to grow in future years.

Companies with innovative strategies are developing products in all areas of pesticides that have the potential to reduce the environmental impact of farming systems. However, modern farms and agricultural operations work far differently than those practiced previously, primarily because of advancements in technology, including sensors, devices, machines, and information technology. This situation makes producers stronger to develop innovative products based on consumer preference and boosts the country to drive during the forecast period.

The use of agricultural robots, temperature, and moisture sensors, aerial images, and GPS technology is gaining momentum in the country. Because of these innovations of modern agriculture, new tools, such as precision applicators, advanced spray nozzles, and data analytics, help farmers use pesticides in the most efficient manner possible. Consequently, this efficient use of pesticides is aiding the growth of the market, as growers can now measure the number of pesticides required and avoid the use of toxic amounts.

Arable land (in hectares) includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops. There is a decline in arable land across the country, including the major farmland-based states of Puglia, Sicily, and Calabria. Urbanization and related land consumption are one of the main causes of ecosystem services loss. In Italy, land degradation processes due to land consumption are increasing, especially in agricultural and peri-urban areas. Land take due to urbanization nullifies the land’s capacity to cultivate and produce the resulting goods and benefits. According to, Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA)In Italy, a loss of approximately 4,154,55.9 ton of agricultural products due to land consumption in the period 2012–2020 was estimated (0.45% of the percentage loss).

According to a report by the World Bank, in 2020, arable land as a share of the land area in Italy was 23.1%. Also, arable land as a share of the land area of Italy fell gradually from 42.1 % in 1967 to 23.1% in 2020. It is estimated to decrease further in the near future. ​Many factors, such as climate change, the outbreak of pests, and the lack of investments, make it challenging to produce enough food.​ Hence, to meet the increasing food demand, the production of crops, such as cereals and pulses, needs to increase despite the limited availability of arable land. The availability of efficient and eco-friendly crop protection chemicals is thus a vital part of sustainable agriculture in the country and boost the growth of the market in the coming years.

The crop protection chemicals market in Italy is consolidated, with major players, including Adama Agricultural Solutions LTD., Bayer CropScience AG, Corteva AgriScience, BASF SE, and UPL Limited, having accounted for more than 50% share in the global market. New product launches, mergers and acquisitions, and partnerships are the major strategies adopted by these leading companies in the market. These companies are also focusing on making an investment in innovations, collaborations, and expansions, in order to increase their market share.

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