Microbial Pesticides - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2024 - 2029)

The Microbial Pesticides Market size is estimated at USD 1.37 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 1.87 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 6.42% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

Key Highlights

• While the prevalence of chemical or synthetic pesticides in crop protection is continuing, concerns about human and animal health and the environment are playing key roles in driving the growth of microbial pesticides. Several countries are adopting a stringent approach concerning the number of imports, focusing on regulating the number of pesticide residues. Due to the growing demand for food safety and quality, microbial pesticides are gaining popularity over their synthetic counterparts.
• When incorporated into an integrated pest management program (IPM), the use of microbial pesticides will reduce the need for synthetic pesticides to a very large extent without affecting crop yield rates. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the total area harvested in 2021 accounted for 1,465.0 million hectares, higher than the previous year with 1,442.7 million hectares due to increased demand for crop production with little microbiological and insect infestation.
• Technological change is the major driving factor for boosting agricultural productivity as arable land decreases. With higher incomes, greater knowledge, and improved communication channels, consumers in many countries demand low-cost food with high quality produced through organic methods. At the same time, the demand for food to be produced using techniques that conserve natural resources, limit environmental pressures, and pay greater attention to rural viability and animal welfare is also increasing. Therefore, governments insist on adopting new farm technologies for sustainable farming systems.

Microbial Pesticides Market Trends

Increasing Organic Land and Adaptation of New Farming Technologies

• The increasing adaptation of new farm technologies led to safer field applications of products like microbial pesticides. Sustainable farming support and acceptance within mainstream agriculture drive farmers toward minimizing the use of chemical pesticides, thereby saving costs, productivity, and the environment. The use of microbial pesticides in sustainable agriculture addresses several environmental and social concerns and offers innovative and economically viable opportunities for growers, laborers, and consumers. This is one of the major drivers for the market's growth of microbial pesticides.
• According to Organic Trade Association (OTA), in 2020, Organic sale in the United States was USD 61.92 billion, with a growth rate of 12.4% from the previous year. If we compare this growth rate of organic sales from an economic perspective with the total United States market for food and non-food products, which grew at less than half the rate, at 4.9%, the consumer behavior shift towards organic is clear.
• Organic food has gained popularity because it is produced in an agricultural system that provides food free from toxic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). So organic products are seen as being of high quality and are considered safer for both health and the environment.

North America Dominates the Market

• With increasing awareness of the effects of chemical herbicides and pesticides, bioherbicides can be adopted as an alternative, especially for integrated weed management. Bioherbicides are herbicides consisting of phytotoxins, pathogens, and other microbes. It is used as biological weed control.
• Bioherbicides are obtained as compounds and secondary metabolites from microbes such as fungi, bacteria, and protozoa, or phytotoxic plant residues, extracts, or single compounds derived from other plant species. Demand in the region is driven by a number of factors, including the increased interest in green agricultural practices and the loss of many conventional products to reregistration and/or performance issues.
• Product development has also driven up the demand for microbial pesticides. Better biological active ingredients and products are available in the present market that can compete with and complement conventional chemical pesticides. The microbial biopesticide sector is driven by a growing awareness of sustainable food production, farmers' concerns about excessive chemical use, and the rising expense of chemical crop protection. This increased knowledge is reflected in the booming biological sector in the United States, which provides an excellent opportunity to use microbial pesticides.
• Furthermore, in June 2021, EPA registered five biopesticide products containing Bacillus velezensis strain RTI301 and/or Bacillus subtilis strain RTI477, new microbial active ingredients. These biopesticide products consisted of two manufacturing and three end-use products, utilizing natural bacteria to protect seedlings and/or agricultural crops from fungal growth. EPA also concluded the products with registered uses would not affect any nontarget species. Thus, such active initiatives taken by the EPA to approve new microbial ingredients in the country are a driving factor for the growth of the microbial pesticide market.

Microbial Pesticides Industry Overview

The market for microbial pesticides is extremely fragmented, with a large number of firms controlling the majority of the market share, along with several small companies and private labels. Bayer CropScience AG, FMC Corporation, Koppert Biological Systems, Valent Biosciences Corporation, and Certis USA LLC are some of the prominent companies in the market studied. New product launches, partnerships, and acquisitions are the major strategies adopted by the leading companies in the market in the country. Along with innovations and expansions, investments in R&D and developing novel product portfolios will likely be crucial strategies in the coming years. The major acquisitions between companies to develop microbial pesticides indicate that the focus on bio-based products is increasing rapidly. The players in the market are investing heavily in this market to diversify their biological research divisions in the expanding marketplace.

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