US growth for formulated pesticide products will advance based on herbicide demand, the
largest active ingredient, showing the strongest growth, especially in the agriculture market.
US demand to reach
$12.1 billion in 2016
After a period of overall slow growth, US
demand for formulated pesticide products
is forecast to grow 2.6 percent per
year to $12.1 billion in 2016. Over the
same period, demand for active ingredients
will increase by 1.4 percent per year
to 945 million pounds, valued at $4.8
billion. The pricing climate is expected to
continue to stabilize following a period of
erratic pricing for glyphosate, the leading
active ingredient. Gains will be driven by
rising demand in all three market segments:
agriculture, commercial, and
consumer.
Herbicides to remain
leading active ingredient
Herbicides will remain the dominant
product type, accounting for over half of
the market in value terms and 66 percent
in volume terms in 2016. Herbicides will
also show the strongest growth, although
as glyphosate continues to lead the
market as the largest active ingredient,
farmers will be looking to supplement
their glyphosate use with herbicides
using different modes of action. Atrazine
and 2,4-D, both commonly used herbicides,
will expand their market presence
as farmers use them for secondary treatment.
Demand for dicamba and glufosinate
will also rise, particularly when new
versions of dicamba- and glufosinatetolerant
crops become available.
Herbicides will also post growth in the
consumer market, particularly as readyto-
use formulations remain popular.
Insecticides are expected to exhibit slow
growth, as volume demand is projected
to rise slightly, but gains will be limited by
little change in the average price. The
best growth prospects will be for products
that can replace organophosphates
and carbamates, both controversial and
potentially harmful classes of chemicals.
Usage patterns will move toward insecticides
that can be applied in lower doses
and have fewer harmful effects on nontarget
species.
Fungicide active ingredients are forecast
to show slow growth, with gains largely
due to increases in the number of resistant
diseases that are affecting crops,
particularly fruit crops. Opportunities for
growth will also arise with products that
can be used as safer alternatives for
fungicidal fumigants, mainly as products
like methyl bromide leave the market.
Agricultural market to
increase most rapidly
The agricultural market is expected to
register the most rapid growth for active
ingredients. Gains will be fueled by an
increase in demand for herbicides in
particular, as farmers continue to battle
weed resistance. The consumer market
will be the next fastest growing segment,
particularly as the economy continues to
recover and homeowners become more
willing to spend money on home and
garden products. The commercial market
will see slow growth, largely due to
slight increases in space for commercial
and industrial uses.
Study Scope
This study analyzes the $10.7 billion US pesticides industry. It presents historical demand data for the years 2001, 2006 and 2011, and forecasts for 2016 and 2021 by formulated and active ingredient product, (e.g., herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, fumigants, defoliants and desiccants, rodenticides, nematicides, biopesticides) and market (e.g., agriculture by type, agriculture by crop, commercial, consumer).
The study also considers market environment factors, details industry structure, evaluates company market share and profiles 36 industry competitors, including Syngenta, Bayer and Monsanto.
