Water Soluble Fertilizer Market

• Rising Demand For High-Value Crops And Organic Agriculture

There is a rising demand for high-value crops and organic agriculture as consumers become more aware of the health and environmental benefits of these products. The consumers rising awareness regarding organic farming has created lucrative growth for organic fertilizers. Key manufacturers in the market have started manufacturing environment-friendly fertilizers products by using natural and non-harmful materials. High-value crops are crops that are typically sold at a higher price due to their unique characteristics or attributes, such as flavor, quality, or nutritional content.

These crops can include specialty fruits and vegetables, herbs, and spices, as well as niche crops such as quinoa and kale. Organic agriculture refers to a production system that emphasizes the use of natural fertilizers and processes, rather than synthetic chemicals, to grow crops and raise livestock. Organic agriculture aims to promote soil health and biodiversity, reduce pollution, and minimize the negative impacts of farming on the environment. Demand for high-value crops and organic agriculture has increased in recent years as consumers become more interested in the health and environmental impacts of their food choices.

In addition, the trend toward plant-based and sustainable diets has also contributed to the demand for these products. For Instance, According to FiBL, Europe's total farmland's organic area share grew from 3.1% in 2018 to 3.4% in 2020. Similarly, in Latin America, the percentage of organic farming rose from 1.1% in 2018 to 1.4% in 2020. The need for fertilizers is growing with an increasing demand for organic food items.  

The water-soluble fertilizers demand is projected to witness continuous growth during the forthcoming years due to the rising requirement of specialty fertilizers to enhance the production of high-quality crops. The growing world population in several developing and under-developed countries has raised concerns over food security and existing food production solutions. Growing initiatives by the government to promote specialty fertilizers and the launch of programs to educate farmers about the novel fertilizer type and its benefits will aid the market growth.

The Global Water Soluble Fertilizer Market Industry experiences a surge in demand driven by the increasing need for high-quality crops. As global populations grow, the pressure on agricultural productivity intensifies. Water soluble fertilizers provide essential nutrients that enhance crop yield and quality, making them a preferred choice among farmers. In 2024, the market is projected to reach 20.7 USD Billion, reflecting the growing adoption of advanced agricultural practices. This trend is likely to continue, as farmers seek to maximize their output and meet the nutritional needs of a burgeoning population.

By Region, the study segments the market into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World. Asia-Pacific Water Soluble Fertilizer market has held the largest market share among the region in the Water Soluble Fertilizer market. Asia-Pacific is the most populated region in the world, consisting of some of the major economies, including China, India, Japan and others. The growing innovations by major players operating in the region are likely to create huge opportunities for its market growth. For instance, in October 2020, Gujarat State Fertilizer and Chemicals India Ltd launched calcium nitrate and boronated calcium nitrate.

In agriculture, calcium nitrate is used as a water-soluble fertilizer. Additionally, this chemical is utilized to strengthen cement concrete as well as for wastewater treatment. Furthermore, in July 2018, Transworld Furtichem Pvt. Ltd, a significant fertilizer manufacturer in India, and Compo Expert Gmbh, a leading producer of specialty fertilizers for commercial use and a portfolio company of the international private equity firm XIO Group with its London headquarters, have agreed to a strategic partnership. Transworld Furtichem will cooperate with Compo Expert for the brands NovaTec and Basfoliar in India as a result of this extensive and forward-looking collaboration.

The development of new technologies, localization of production, and joint commercialization of the highly effective, ecologically friendly Compo Expert fertilizer products will be closely coordinated between the parties.

Apart from this, the recent export of various types of water-soluble fertilizer is set to boost its market growth. For instance, according to MRFR analysis, in 2021, India exported more than 84 thousand metric tonnes of nitrogenous fertilizers. The South Asian nation also exported 29.12 thousand metric tonnes of potash and 49.32 thousand metric tonnes of phosphate fertilizers that year. Furthermore, the prices of some water-soluble fertilizers were USD 1102.69/MT, including mono ammonium phosphate, potassium nitrate USD 1123.69/MT and urea phosphate were USD 984.54/MT.

The major countries studied are the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, South America, the Middle East, and Africa.

Figure 3:  WATER SOLUBLE FERTILIZER MARKET SHARE BY REGION, 2022 & 2032 (USD Million)

Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, Market Research Future Database, and Analyst Review

The North American region includes major markets such as the US, Canada, and Mexico. The growing production of various types of fertilizer across the region such as potassium, ammonia, nitrogen and many more is set to positively influence its market growth. For instance, according to the International Fertilizer Association in 2020, ammonia was manufactured in the United States in 36 domestic plants, and it was transported throughout the nation by pipeline, rail, barge, and truck.

The United States produced 11.6% of the world's nitrogen in 2018, placing it second behind China, which produced 24.6% of it, and ahead of India, the third-largest producer with 11.3% of the world's supply. In terms of phosphate output, the U.S. came in second place with 9.9% of worldwide production, below China (37.7%), but ahead of India (9.8%), which generated 9.8% of the world's supply. Canada produced the most potassium potash, accounting for 31.9% of the world's supply. Belarus comes in second place, producing 16.5% of the world's supply.

In addition, the U.S. ranks seventh with a share of roughly 4.6% in nitrogen exports.

Europe basically includes the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Rest of the Europe are all included in the analysis of the European market. Europe continues to hold a significant share in the global Water-Soluble Fertilizer market, owing to the presence of major players in the region coupled with the various strategies adopted by them to expand its product portfolio. For instance, in February 2022, EuroChem Group a leading worldwide fertilizer manufacturer announced that, after the submission of a legally binding bid, it has entered into an exclusive agreement to acquire the nitrogen business of the Borealis group.

In the centre of significant crop-producing regions in Austria and France, Borealis runs fertilizer production facilities. Borealis is one of Europe's top fertilizer manufacturers, supplying roughly four million tonnes of products annually in Western, Central, and South East Europe through the Borealis L.A.T distribution network, including approximately 0.08 million tonnes of technical nitrogen solutions and approximately 0.15 million tonnes of melamine. Apart from this, the recent government policies regarding fertilizer are expected to positively influence its market growth.

For example, in July 2019, European Union introduced a new regulation which intends to synchronize standards for all Member States and allow the free circulation of fertilizing products within the European Union.

The key players are increasing their investment in research & development to innovate and add new features in the water soluble fertilizer which is expected to boost the growth of the market further. In addition, the companies’ strategic initiatives including expansion to new markets that have significant growth potential, entering into long-term contracts and agreements with domestic and international raw material suppliers, mergers and acquisitions, and technological innovation & incorporation in the manufacturing facilities are used by different players in the market to strengthen their presence in the market.

Moreover, the competitors in the water soluble Fertilizer industry must incorporate sustainable materials and production techniques to capitalize on the trend of increasing demand for environment-friendly products across the globe.

One of the key business strategies deployed by the water soluble fertilizer industry to gain a competitive advantage among the competitors is on lowering their environmental footprint and investing in research and development along with strategic growth initiatives such as acquisitions and product launches to strengthen their market position and capture a large consumer base.

The Mosaic Company is a parent company of IMC Global Inc. and the Cargill Crop Nutrition fertilizer business of Cargill. The company is engaged in manufacturing and marketing concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients. The company has been organized into three business segments which include Phosphates, Potash, and Mosaic Fertilizantes. The phosphates segment is operated in Florida, which manufactures concentrated phosphate crop nutrients and phosphate-based animal feed ingredients, and processing plants in Louisiana. The potash business segment operates its manufacturing facilities in Canada and the U.S. and its sales include domestic and international sales.

And Mosaic Fertilizantes segment includes five phosphate rock mines, four phosphate chemical plants, and a potash mine in Brazil. The company is serving its products to more than 40 countries, which covers North America & South America business locations in 9 countries

Yara International is a crop nutrition company a produces, distributes, and sells nitrogen-based mineral fertilizers and related industrial products. The company operates in 60 countries globally and the business area comprises the bases chemicals, mining applications, and transport reagents commercial units, with production plants in Germany, Brazil, South Africa, Sweden, France, and Malaysia. The company’s regional segment Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Africa operates in a fully integrated setup, compromising production, supply chain, and commercial operations, producing and delivering existing fertilizers solutions, in addition, to commercializing and new offerings under the guidance of Farming Solutions.

The company also owns a few the brands like YaraTera, YaraBela, YaraMila, YaraLiva, YaraVita, YaraRega, and YaraSuna.

Eurochem Group (Eurochem) is a manufacturer of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash fertilizers and also certain industrial and mining products. The company is engaged in activities spanning mining, logistic, fertilizer production, and distribution. The company not only manufactures phosphate fertilizers, and nitrogen fertilizers but also urea, ammonia, ammonium nitrate, urea ammonium nitrate, complex fertilizers, nitrate phosphate, and many more. The company operates its manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. And Russia, Belgium, Lithuania, and China are the countries that are engaged in producing nitrogen, phosphate, and potash fertilizers.