The Global Agricultural Surfactants Market is anticipated to reach USD 2.87 billion by 2028, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.8% over the forecast period. A surfactant can be defined as a component, which decreases the surface tension of the liquid in which it is dissolved. The current trend of the high demand for environment-friendly surfactants has stimulated companies to intensify their research in the field. The global population is growing exponentially and every day, about 200,000 people are getting added to the world food demand.

According to the UN population division, the world population has increased nearly fourfold in the past 100 years. By 2050, the world population is projected to reach 9.2 billion. Supplying food to this increasing population has become a global concern in recent times. Farmland per capita in 2030 is anticipated to decline from 2,200 m² in 2005 to 1800 m². To make the situation worse, several crop vermin are causing 10%-16% of global crop damages annually. Therefore, to meet the global food demand, safeguarding crop is the important strategy adopted by farmers. The increasing demand for crop protection chemicals is further promoting the growth of the agricultural surfactants market.

Agricultural Surfactants Market, by Type

Based on type, the agricultural surfactants market is categorized into anionic, non-ionic, cationic, and amphoteric. The non-ionic segment is expected to dominate the agricultural surfactants market during the forecast period, as most agricultural surfactants are non-ionic and are used for general wetting and spreading. In addition, non-ionic surfactants are typically sold in addition to spray solutions for herbicides. These surfactants are stable in cold water, and they are good dispersing agents. They are also less toxic to plants and animals.

Agricultural Surfactants Market, by Substrate

On the basis of the substrate, the synthetic surfactants segment is expected to hold the largest share in the agricultural surfactants market due to the high consumption of herbicides and fungicides that consist of synthetic surfactants in the range of 1%–10%. Synthetic surfactants are obtained primarily from petroleum or petroleum products’ chemical synthesis. Presently, most surfactants existing in the agricultural surfactants industry are synthesized from petroleum-based feedstock such as benzene, ethylene, n-paraffins, and kerosene.

Agricultural Surfactants Market, by Crop Type

Based on crop type, the cereal and grains segment is anticipated to witness huge demand in the agricultural surfactants industry over the forecast period. Herbicides are largely used in the production of cereals and grains. Surfactants are used in herbicide treatment solutions for cereals & vegetables to enhance the spray droplet retention and penetration of active components into the plant foliage.

Agricultural Surfactants Market, by Application

On the basis of application, the agricultural surfactants market is segmented into fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and others. The herbicide segment is expected to have the largest market share in the agricultural surfactants market during the forecast period. In herbicide treatment solutions, agricultural surfactants are almost always present for improving spray droplet retention and to enhance the penetration of active components into plant foliage.

Agricultural Surfactants Market, by Region

North America is anticipated to hold a major share of the agricultural surfactants industry. Increasing government assistance for continued supply of food, biofuel, and feed is expected to increase development in the worldwide market. Due to the introduction of evolving approaches to enter niche markets such as Thailand, China, and India, the Asia Pacific region is expected to emerge as a prospective agricultural surfactants market. In the near future, these Asia Pacific countries are estimated to boost the worldwide agricultural surfactants industry.

Key Agricultural Surfactants Market Developments

1. In March 2018, Stepan Co. acquired BASF Mexicana, S.A. DE C.V. surfactant production capability in Ecatepec (Mexico), and a portion of the company’s accompanying surfactants trade.
2. To meet the increased demand for alkoxylates in Europe, BASF has announced an investment on September 2018 to start a stepwise capacity increase of its production plant in Antwerp (Belgium).
3. Mar 11, 2020 - Precision Laboratories has launched surfactant, Precisive. The unique APE/NPE-free formulation of Precisive offers an extraordinary level of crop safety, making it perfect for enhancing the effectiveness of fungicide applications in corn.
4. March 11, 2020 - Wilbur-Ellis Company has announced the launch of EMBRECE-EA. It is a unique blend of surfactants designed to uplift the performance of insecticides, fungicides, and miticides by the spreading of spray materials and increasing wetting.
5. May 22, 2018 - Precision Laboratories introduced Domino for the 2018 growing season. It increases the efficiency of water for irrigated crops. Domino also improves the infiltration of irrigation and rainfall throughout the plant rootzone, which makes water accessible to the plant over time and declines the amount of irrigation needed to sustain the crop.
6. July 18, 2014 - Logos Technologies, announced its own line of rhamnolipids fully biodegradable surfactants. NatSurFact® line provides sustainably made and ecofriendly preparations. NatSurFact® has the potential to be disruptive in sectors as diverse as household cleaning, personal care, agriculture, and chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery (cEOR).

Some Key Findings of the Global Agricultural Surfactants Market Report Include:

• Major global Agricultural Surfactants Market analysis, trends, forecasts, along with the country-specific market analysis
• An in-depth analysis of the global Agricultural Surfactants Market includes an analysis by type, substrate, crop type, application, and by regions, along with an analysis of trend-based insights and factors.
• Product offering details, competitive benchmarking, and development approaches adopted by the important industry players, along with their investments in the last five years in the global Agricultural Surfactants Market.
• The market study includes the micro and macro study of the provinces, limitations, drivers, prospects, guidelines, challenges, and procedures that are propelling the global Agricultural Surfactants Market.
• Some major industry players functional in the global Agricultural Surfactants Market include DowDuPont, BASF, AkzoNobel, Evonik, Solvay, Huntsman Corporation, Nufarm, Clariant, Helena Chemical Company, Croda International, Stepan Company, and Wilbur-Ellis Company.

Market Segmentation:

By Type:

• Non-Ionic
• Anionic
• Cationic
• Amphoteric

By Substrate:

• Synthetic
• Bio-Based

By Crop Type:

• Cereal & Grains
• Fruit & Vegetables
• Others

By Application:

• Herbicides
• Fungicides
• Insecticides
• Others

By Region:

• North America
• Western Europe
• Eastern Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Middle East
• Rest of the world