China Micronutrient Fertilizer - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

The China Micronutrient Fertilizer Market size is estimated at 614.8 million USD in 2025, and is expected to reach 866.1 million USD by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 7.10% during the forecast period (2025-2030).

The rising requirement of micronutrients to enhance the productivity may boost the growth of the market

• Micronutrient deficiency in soils is a widespread problem across the country. Some of the micronutrients are abundant on the earth's crust due to their immobile nature. They cause micronutrient deficiencies in crops.
• Copper is the common micronutrient fertilizer used in crop production in the country. It accounted for about 27.6% of the total micronutrient fertilizer market value in 2022. One of the micronutrients that plants require in small amounts is copper (Cu). It is necessary for photosynthesis, essential for plant respiration, and helps the plant metabolize proteins and carbohydrates. Copper enhances the color of vegetables as well as the color of flowers and plays a key role in protein formation.
• Most of the soils in China have an adequate amount of copper. However, in vegetable crops, the average copper nutrient application rate was 0.2% higher than the average copper application rate in field crops in 2022. Because copper is an immobile element in plants, symptoms of copper deficiency appear first in the plant's younger sections.
• Zinc is the most consumed micronutrient in the country, accounting for the second largest market share by the value of 25.49% in 2022. Zinc is needed in very small amounts by plants. The normal concentration of Zn in most plants is between 20 to 100 ppm. However, this small amount of Zn plays a key role in plants as an enzyme co-factor and a structural component in proteins.
• Due to factors like the requirement for increased productivity and output, as well as the necessity to maintain food and nutritional security for the area's constantly expanding population, the market may expand during 2023-2030 with a CAGR of 6.9%, and the emergence of advanced fertilizers may also contribute to micronutrient consumption.

China Micronutrient Fertilizer Market Trends

The expansion of the cultivation area is driven by increasing demand for food and the country's goal to achieve self-sufficiency in staple food

• China's cultivation area for field crops expanded marginally from 126.6 million ha in 2018 to 127.8 million ha in 2022, representing 70.8% of the total cultivated land. In 2022, Corn dominated the field crop landscape, commanding a 34.2% share, trailed by rice at 23.6% and wheat at 18.3%. This increase in cultivation area is poised to drive up fertilizer demand in the nation.
• China's field crop calendar revolves around two seasons: spring/summer (April-September) and winter. Spring crops encompass early corn, early rice, early wheat, and cotton, while winter crops center around winter wheat and rapeseed. Yet, it's rice and corn that take the spotlight, contributing to a third of China's grain output. As the world's leading rice producer, China dedicated 30 million hectares to rice farming in 2022, yielding a bountiful 210 million tons. Key rice-growing regions span Heilongjiang, Hunan, Jiangxi, Hubei, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Yunan. Looking at corn, China was set to produce 277.2 million tons in 2022-2023, a 4.6 million ton surge from the previous year, buoyed by a robust harvest. The Northeast provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Inner Mongolia stand out as the corn powerhouses.
• While spring dominates China's cropping season, it grapples with heat spikes in June and July. Rice, a dietary staple for millions, bears the brunt. These scorching temperatures, coupled with meager rainfall, exacerbate mineral depletion in the soil, necessitating higher fertilizer application. Such arid conditions can also curtail crop yields.

In China, rapeseed or canola is applied with large amounts of micronutrients compared to other field crops

• Micronutrients play a vital role in crop nutrition and growth, and their deficiency significantly impacts yields. Field crops typically receive an average application rate of 5.2 kg/hectare for micronutrient fertilizers. Among these, manganese takes the lead, with an application rate of 9.8 kg/hectare in 2022, despite being the eleventh most abundant micronutrient in the earth's crust. However, when the soil pH reaches seven or higher, chemical and microbial oxidation occur, leading to the immobilization of plant-available Mn2+. This, in turn, triggers manganese deficiency in plants.
• Following manganese, copper took the market lead with an application rate of 7.3 kg/hectare, trailed by zinc at 4.1 kg/hectare, and iron at 3.3 kg/hectare in 2022.
• In China, rapeseed or canola stands out for its higher micronutrient application rates compared to other field crops. It receives an average of 10.79 kg/hectare of micronutrient fertilizers, given the significant impact of micronutrient deficiency on oil yield. Notably, foliar application of manganese and molybdenum has shown a 1% increase in oil content in the seeds.
• Micronutrient deficiencies in soil can arise from excessive phosphate fertilization and other natural factors. Phosphate, in particular, can limit the availability of iron, zinc, and copper to crops. In China, a strategy was adopted to enhance field crop yields by reducing phosphate fertilization while simultaneously increasing zinc fertilization.
• Optimally applying micronutrient fertilizers can enhance plant efficiency in absorbing primary nutrients from the soil, thereby reducing the overall fertilizer requirement in vegetable crops.

China Micronutrient Fertilizer Industry Overview

The China Micronutrient Fertilizer Market is fragmented, with the top five companies occupying 27.14%. The major players in this market are Coromandel International Ltd., Hebei Monband Water Soluble Fertilizer Co. Ltd, ICL Group Ltd, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA and Yara International ASA (sorted alphabetically).

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