United States Crop Protection Chemicals Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022- 2027)

United States Crop Protection Chemicals Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022- 2027)

The US crop protection chemicals market is projected to register a CAGR of 3.8% during the forecast period (2022-2027).

The rapid proliferation of COVID-19 at home and abroad and the subsequent shutdown of parts of the economy led to unprecedented and simultaneous supply and demand shocks to the food system. Most critically, the USDA initially aided through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, which is estimated to provide up to USD 16 billion to US farmers and ranchers to help them deal with the significant income losses they incurred during the pandemic. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), soybean witnessed the highest rate of application of insecticides in terms of volume. The volume was 4,075 metric ton in 2017, followed by corn at 750.7 metric ton. Neonicotinoids and chlorpyrifos are the major insecticides used by farmers in Minnesota. However, due to the rising concerns regarding the harmful effects of the use of synthetic insecticides, the government restricted the use of neonicotinoids in the state, mainly to ensure permissible use of the bee-harming insecticide. By product type, the market is broadly segmented into herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, nematicides, and other crop protection chemicals. Herbicides held the largest market share in terms of value in 2020, with USD 3.68 billion, followed by insecticides and fungicides. The growing demand for food is constantly increasing the need for agricultural productivity, which accelerates the demand and need for crop protection chemicals. The improved scientific and technological trends in the crop protection chemicals market are likely to be major drivers positively impacting the market during the forecast period.

Genetically modified (GM) crops were first introduced in the United States in 1996. Presently, these crops are widespread in the United States. Currently, over 90% of corn, cotton, and soybean acreage in the United States is planted with genetically engineered (GE) seeds. Famers have accepted GM seeds, as their benefits exceed their costs. However, the adoption of these crops has also boosted the use of crop protection chemicals due to the increase in difficulty in killing insects. Corn is the most commonly grown crop in the United States, and most of it is GMO. Most GMO corn is created to resist insect pests or tolerate herbicides. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn is GMO corn that produces proteins that are toxic to certain insect pests but not to humans, pets, livestock, or other animals. These are the same types of proteins that organic farmers use to control insect pests, and they do not harm other beneficial insects such as ladybugs. GMO Bt corn reduces the need for spraying insecticides while still preventing insect damage. Although a lot of GMO corn goes into processed foods and drinks, most of it is used to feed livestock, like cows, and poultry, like chickens. Most soy grown in the United States is GMO soy. Most GMO soy is used for food for animals, predominantly poultry and livestock, and to make soybean oil. It is also used as an ingredient (lecithin, emulsifiers, and proteins) in processed foods. Advances in biotechnology continue to drive the development of a wide range of insect-protected, herbicide-tolerant, stress-tolerant, and nutritionally enhanced genetically modified (GM) crops. In 2018, GMO soybeans made up 94% of all soybeans planted, GMO cotton made up 94% of all cotton planted, and 92% of corn planted was GMO corn. GMOs have been changing the way that pesticides are used in agriculture. Herbicide-tolerant genetically modified (GM) crops have led to an increase in herbicide usage. Hence, the increased use of GM crops boosts the production of crop protection chemicals globally.

The herbicides segment occupied the largest market share of 41.0% in 2020. Furthermore, GMOs have been changing the way pesticides are used in agriculture. Herbicide-tolerant genetically modified (GM) crops have led to increased herbicide usage in the fields. Herbicides are applied to lawns, parks, golf courses, and other areas in suburban and urban areas. Herbicides are also applied to water bodies to control aquatic weeds. Glyphosate, under the brand name Roundup, from Bayer is the widest selling herbicide. It is a broad-spectrum, non-selective, systemic herbicide and accounts for 60% of the global non-selective herbicide market. The adoption rate of herbicides has been growing in the past few years in the country, owing to the lower prices and availability of different types of herbicides as compared to other crop protection chemicals. The growth of herbicides is driven significantly by the increment in hard-to-control and resistant weeds that are likely to infest more than 80 million acres of farmland. Therefore, several growers are focusing on modifying their herbicide programs and producing tank mixes that comprise herbicides and residual control to eliminate these weed species, which strengthens the herbicides market. As the next generation of herbicides, bioherbicides are gaining popularity globally. Due to the frequent presence of chemical-herbicide residues in food crops found specifically on herbicide-tolerant maize and soybean, the developed countries are posing strict regulations on their import, which is promoting the use of bio-herbicides among the developing nations. For instance, bio-herbicides that use microbes as biological weed control agents are gaining popularity in integrated pest management techniques, along with synthetic herbicides. Although the segment constitutes only a small part of the industry, it is expected to register a significant growth rate.

The US crop protection chemicals market is highly consolidated. BASF Corporation, Bayer Corporation, Syngenta Corporation, Corteva Agriscience, and FMC Corporation are the major players in the market. Bayer Corporation is the most significant player in the market, with a majority of the market share. Major acquisitions between companies to develop biopesticides indicate that the focus on bio-based products is rapidly increasing. The players in the market are heavily investing in the biopesticide market to diversify their biological research divisions for the expansion of the market.

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