The agriculture microbial market is projected to reach US$ 18,003.75 million by 2028 from US$ 6,901.93 million in 2021. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.8% from 2022 to 2028.
Agricultural microbial refers to the microorganisms used in agriculture to enhance crop productivity and yield quality. Bacteria, fungi, and viruses are a few microbes. They can boost the growth of the plant by improving access to supplements. Many microbes help decompose organic matter and recycle agricultural waste material. Also, they offer phosphorus, nitrogen, and other nutrients and provide benefits, including heat and drought tolerance and resistance to insects and plant diseases.
According to the United Nations, the world population is expected to reach 9.8 billion in 2050 and estimated that it will reach 11.2 billion in 2100. With increased population, the global agriculture has to double food production by 2050 and reduce the reliance on inorganic fertilizers and pesticides. Thus, growing population has surged the demand and concerns for food to feed the growing population. Additionally, in recent years the food insecurity has been moderate which has affected more than 30% world population. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization in the US, in 2020 between 720 and 811 people faced hunger globally.
The prevalence of undernourishment had climbed to around 9.9% in 2020 from 8.4% in 2019. Growing food scarcity and increasing population has surged the demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural products. Agriculture microbials are aiding numerous practices such as soil improvement and crop protection. Adoption of agriculture microbials offers various benefits such as increased nutrient uptake, crop yield, and organic cultivation. Such benefits offered by agriculture microbials coupled with ever growing population has surged the demand for agriculture microbials.
A few players operating in the infant, child, and maternal probiotic supplements market are BASF SE; Bayer AG; Certis USA LLC; BioWorks; Novozymes A/S; Chr. Hansen Holding A/S.; Syngenta Group; Nufarm; Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc.; Koppert B.V.; and among few others.
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Agriculture Microbial Market
Before COVID-19 pandemic, the agriculture microbial market was mainly driven by the rising adoption of organic farming and growing demand for sustainable agriculture. However, many industries faced unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic in 2020. The agriculture industry declined due to the shutdown of several manufacturing units and disruption in supply chain. Research and development activities were put on hold to avoid the spread of diseases. Manufacturers of agriculture microbial faced labor shortage which hampered its manufacturing process.
However, in 2021, various economies restarted their operations as the governments announced relaxation in the previously imposed restrictions, which positively impacted the global marketplace. Moreover, manufacturers were permitted to operate at full capacity, which helped them overcome the demand and supply gap. Currently, the market situation is far better than earlier. Many nations are fully vaccinated, and agriculture microbial product manufacturers are focusing on increasing their production to boost their revenues
