Global Controlled-Release Fertilizers Market: Growth, Future Prospects & Competitive Analysis, 2018 – 2026

Market Insights

Controlled-release fertilizers are meant to prevent the loss of nutrients from a crop. They are an important ingredient in the crop production process. As per an analysis by the Food and Agriculture Organization, it is predicted that the usage of fertilizers can increase the crop’s productivity by 55%. They help crops absorb nitrogen efficiently, thereby reducing loss of nitrogen, and are specialized to maintain soil quality all through the harvesting season.

The controlled-release fertilizer market is gaining popularity among consumers due to the high demand for efficient fertilizers and accelerating research to make coated and encapsulated fertilizers cost-effective while also controlling nutrient loss. Significant competition is anticipated to drive the market as the rise in agricultural exports and sustainable practices employed for agriculture in Argentina, Brazil, India, and China is expected to accelerate the demand for such fertilizers in South America and Asia Pacific. This will most likely increase the frequency of international manufacturers, thus leading to high competition and product innovation tailored to customer needs. A strategy based on mergers and acquisitions is also anticipated to propel the growth of this market. Other factors fueling the growth of this market are an increasing population, increasing food demand, adverse climatic conditions, being environmentally friendly, and increased private investment. Apart from this, an increase in gardens and lawns, mostly in the Asia Pacific, coupled with hobby gardeners and cultivators, will also propel the controlled-fertilizer market. However, there are some restraints on this market, such as a lack of awareness by farmers about the product combined with the high price of controlled fertilizers compared to conventional fertilizers in underdeveloped or developing regions.

Crop type, such as cereals and grains, oilseeds and pulses, fruits and vegetables, and others, drives the controlled-release fertilizers market. The other segments include plantation crops and turf and ornamentals, among others. Cereals and grains dominated the market in 2016, becoming the most frequently and widely used in the controlled-release fertilizer industry, owing primarily to the increased adoption of sustainable agriculture policies. In terms of fertilizer application, the U.S. and Asia-Pacific were the market leaders. Coated and encapsulated products saw the most growth in the coming years due to their numerous benefits, which were backed up by government promotion. Sulfur-coated fertilizers, which are granules coated with liquid sulfur, dominate in developing nations mainly due to the very low cost of sulfur. Apart from this, coated fertilizers and stabilizers were mostly used for wheat and corn cultivation in the US, India, and China. Japan used coated fertilizers for rice.

In North America, the U.S. leads the controlled-fertilizer market, closely followed by Asia Pacific. The Asia-Pacific market, being the most lucrative, is estimated to see key developments and an increase in demand. It is also anticipated to witness the highest market growth owing to an increasing shortage of land and innovations in the methodologies used for farming in China and India. However, due to a lack of awareness and the high cost of these products, the true potential of the market for controlled-release fertilizers has yet to be realized.

The global controlled-release fertilizer market is segmented as below:

Slow- release

By Category

• Urea-formaldehyde
• Urea-isobutyraldehyde
• Urea-isobutyraldehyde
• Others

Coated and encapsulated

• Sulfur coatings
• Polymer coatings
• Polymer coatings
• Others

Nitrogen stabilizers (N-stabilisers)

• Nitrification inhibitors
• Urease inhibitors

By crop type

• Cereals and grains (corn, wheat, rice, etc.)
• Oil seeds and pulses (soybean, canola, etc.)
• Fruits and vegetables (root and tuber crops, brassicas, citrus fruits, etc.)
• Others (plantation crops, turf, ornamentals, etc.)

By Application

• Foliar application
• Fertigation
• Others

By Geography

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• South America
• MEA (Middle East and Africa)

Key players across the controlled release fertilizer market value chain are:

Agrium Inc., Yara International, CF Industries Holdings, Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, The Mosaic Company, Haifa Group, ICL Specialty Fertilizers, The Chisso Corporation, Greenfeed Agro Sdn. Bhd., Israel Chemicals Ltd., and ATS Group, among others.

This report offers the following:

• Assessment of controlled release fertilizer market trends for the period 2016–2026
• Historical (past) information for 2016 and 2017 and projections with CAGRs from 2018 to 2026, considering 2017 as the base year for the market.
• Market drivers, restraints, future prospects, and competitive analysis (market positioning) of key market players
• Overview of the Controlled Release Fertilizers Industry Value Chain
• Company profiles containing key information about the key players in the controlled release fertilizers market
• Estimation of the market size in terms of value and volume