Agricultural Surfactants Market To Generate Revenue worth $2,734.6 Million by 2030

The global agricultural surfactants market is projected to generate USD 2,734.6 million revenue in 2030, advancing at a CAGR of 6.3% during 2024–2030. This can be ascribed to the rising adoption of advanced farming techniques, increasing need for crop protection chemicals for higher crop yields, increasing demand for food owing to the growing population, presence of limited agricultural land, and growing government support for the agriculture industry. Moreover, numerous players are engaged in the launch of bio-based surfactants and other advanced agrochemicals.

Cereals & Grains Contribute Majority of Revenue

Based on crop type, the market is categorized into cereals & grains, fruits & vegetables, and others. Among these, the cereals & grains category held the largest revenue share, of 55%, in 2023, and it is further expected to maintain its dominance during the prediction period. This can be ascribed to the high demand for cereals and grains across the globe owing to the rising population and the growing consciousness of people regarding the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and fulfilling their dietary needs.

The synthetic category, based on substrate type, holds a significant revenue share. This can be attributed the low cost, easy availability, high stability in water, and good dispersion capabilities of surfactants derived from petrochemical feedstock.

Moreover, the bio-based category will register the faster growth in the coming years, due to governments’ strict legislations on the use of synthetic surfactants and the growing preference of farmers for eco-friendly solutions with their rising awareness of environmental conservation.

Based on application, the herbicides category accounted for the largest revenue share in 2023, and it is further expected to maintain its dominance in the coming years. This is due to the growing need to maximize crop productivity and remove unwanted vegetation, or weeds, from fields. Further, the increase in the usage of such chemicals for weed control over the traditional methods, including crop cover, hand weeding, and fertility level and soil pH modification, is propelling the market in this category.

The non-ionic category accounted for the highest revenue contribution in 2023, and it is further expected to maintain its position in the coming years. This is because such surfactants offer low toxicity to plants and water solubility with agrochemicals. Additionally, non-ionic surfactants are widely employed as wetting and cleaning agents in the agriculture sector.

Geographically, North America contributed significant revenue to the market in 2023. This can be ascribed to the presence of a high number of major players, regular launches of innovative agrochemicals, depleting arable land, and rising need for enhanced crop yields.

APAC will register the highest growth during the forecast period due to the incessant increase in the population. Other key drivers are the shift of the production facilities of Western agrochemical companies to the region owing to the availability of cheap raw material and labor, availability of extensive farmlands, and technological advancement in the agriculture industry.

Additionally, Europe contributes significant revenue to the market. This is due to the high R&D investment by industry players to develop enhanced products, availability of significant agricultural land, and high acceptance rate of advanced products for crop protection.

The major players operating in the agricultural surfactants market are The Dow Chemical Company, BASF SE, Solvay S.A., Nouryon Chemicals Holding B.V., Wilbur-Ellis Holdings Inc., Helena Agri-Enterprises LLC, Clariant AG, Evonik Industries AG, and Croda International Plc.