Market Insights
Flax is one of the oldest cultivated crops. It is a member of the Linaceae family. Flax is grown across the globe, including in India, Canada, the U.S., and China, as well as all over Europe. Flax oil is also known as linseed oil, which is sold as varnish in hardware stores. Linseed and flaxseed are often used interchangeably, but there is a significant difference. When flax is used for human consumption, it is called flaxseed, and linseed is used when it has been used for industrial purposes. The largest planted areas of flax seed are in Canada, the U.S., Russia, China, and Kazakhstan.
Flaxseeds are nutritionally enriched seeds used for human consumption and animal feed. It is the richest source of omega-3 fatty acids. It contains more than 50% linolenic acid and offers numerous health benefits, such as reducing blood pressure, lowering serum cholesterol, and maintaining health in cardiovascular diseases, asthma, diabetes, and arthritis. There are new prospects to increase the use of flax in gums, bread, cereals, and proteins. The humanization of pets has also created opportunities for flax. Apart from food, linseed oil is also used in related industries due to its polymerization property. The global demand for flax is growing considerably, owing to its demand from the textile, food, and paper industries. Moreover, the use of flax in personal care products and the plastics industry is another key factor driving the market.
The report titled “Global Flaxseeds Market: Growth, Share, Opportunities, and Competitive Analysis, 2015–2022” offers strategic insights into the global flaxseed market along with the market size and estimates for the duration of 2014–2022. The said research study covers an in-depth analysis of multiple market segments based on applications and a cross-sectional study across different geographies. The study covers the comparative analysis of different segments for the years 2014 and 2022. The report also provides a prolific view of market dynamics, such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities.
In order to help the strategic decision makers, the report also includes profiles of the leading flaxseed manufacturers, their SCOT (Strengths, Challenges, Opportunities, and Weaknesses) analysis, and key developments. The major players profiled in the report are AgMotion Speciality Grains, S.S. Johnson Seeds, Cargill Inc., CanMAr Grain Products Ltd., Stokke Seeds, Simosis International, Richardson International Ltd., Sunnyville Farms Ltd., TA Foods Ltd., Archer Daniels Midland Company. Further, the report also covers the market positioning of the key players operating in the flaxseed market.
Other in-depth analysis provided in the report includes:
- Current and future market trends to justify the forthcoming attractive markets within the flaxseed industry
- Market fuelers, market impediments, and their impact on market growth
- in-depth competitive environment analysis
- SRC (Segment, Region, Country) Analysis
Overall, the research study provides a holistic view of the global flaxseed market, offering market size and estimates for the period from 2015 to 2022, keeping in mind the above-mentioned factors.
The global flaxseed market can be categorized on the basis of applications as follows:
- Food
- Feed
- Pet Food
- Paper & Pulp
- Textile
- Others (personal care, biofuel, building construction, among others)
Flax products, due to their unique nutrient components and the potential effect on the prevention of several human diseases, are used for human and animal consumption. Flax seeds are rich in lignans, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids that aid in the control of blood sugar and cholesterol. Food and textile were the largest application segments and accounted for over 40% of flaxseed demand in 2014, with the food segment dominating the market during the same period. Flaxseed is getting huge demand from the food industry for use in energy bars, bread, snacks, and crackers, among others. Also, the demand for flax is growing in the animal feed and pet food industries.
Flaxseed demand from the feed segment is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.3% in terms of volume from 2015 to 2022. The high protein content component of flaxseed cake for mixed feed production is projected to drive demand for this application segment. Flaxseed oil also acts as an excellent raw material for technical purposes and is used in various industries, such as paper and pulp, soap, varnishes, and paints, among others.
On the basis of geography, the global flaxseed market is segmented into the following regions:
- North America
- Europe
- Germany
- France
- UK.
- Italy
- Spain
- Rest of Europe
- Asia Pacific
- China
- Japan
- India
- South Korea
- South-east Asia
- Rest of Asia Pacific
- Latin America
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Rest of Latin America
- Middle East & Africa
- GCC Countries
- South Africa
- Rest of Middle East and Africa
In 2014, North America was the largest regional market in terms of consumption and accounted for over 30% of global flaxseed demand. The market for flax products in Asia and North America, particularly in China and the U.S., is set to grow significantly in the near future. Canada, as the largest producer of flax in the world, is a major supplier to the U.S. and China. Europe is another significant flaxseed consumer. It is a potential market and is expected to grow rapidly due to rising awareness about the benefits of flax for human consumption.
Russia is the major exporter of flax and, reportedly, will continue to export larger quantities over the next five years. Other countries, such as Argentina, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, China, and Peru, also supply significant quantities of flax products. Belgium was the largest importer in 2012, with about one-third of total imports. China, the U.S., and Germany were the next largest importers. U.S. imports are growing by 12% annually, while China’s and the Netherlands’ are growing by 10% annually.
