The Liquid Fertilizer Market size is estimated at 23.5 billion USD in 2025, and is expected to reach 31.53 billion USD by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 6.05% during the forecast period (2025-2030).
Field crop consumption of liquid fertilizers is increasing
- Field crops dominated the global liquid fertilizer market, accounting for about 77.4% of the total liquid fertilizer consumption. Their volume consumption of liquid fertilizers was 20.6 million metric tons, worth USD 20.6 billion in 2022. The large consumption of liquid fertilizers by field crops is due to the large area under cultivation of these crops. More than 85.0% of the global agricultural land is dedicated to the cultivation of field crops.
- Horticultural crops are the second-largest crop type that consumes liquid fertilizers, accounting for about 19.2% of the global liquid fertilizer consumption in 2022.
- With increasing concerns for health and nutrition after the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for high-value crops like fruits and vegetables is increasing worldwide. Vegetable crops with major demand, such as tomatoes, potatoes, onions, cabbage, and cauliflower, consume high amounts of fertilizer and are grown throughout the year. Foliar liquid fertilizers play an important role in fruit crops, as foliar spraying is known to improve the quality of fruits.
- Turf and ornamental crops accounted for a share of about 3.4% of the total global liquid fertilizer market and were valued at USD 863.9 million in 2022, with a volume consumption of 907.2 thousand metric tons.
- The area under cultivation of turf and ornamental crops is increasing with concerns over pollution, the growing importance of aesthetic landscaping in gardens, and ecotourism worldwide. Therefore, the global consumption of liquid fertilizers in respective crop types is anticipated to register a CAGR of 5.1% between 2023 and 2030.
The United States occupied the higher market share in liquid fertilizers consumption in the region
- In 2022, the Asia-Pacific liquid fertilizers market accounted for approximately 49.9% of the global liquid fertilizers market's total value share. Growers in the region are increasingly aware of the advantages of liquid fertilizers, such as their ability to penetrate the soil easily and enable plants to absorb nutrients more quickly. Additionally, liquid fertilizers help reduce fertilizer wastage and can be applied either to the ground or to the leaves.
- Liquid fertilizer represented 21.8% of the North American specialty market in 2022. The United States was the top consumer of liquid fertilizers in North America, with a share of 74.4% in 2022. The liquid fertilizer market in the country was valued at USD 3.1 billion in 2022, with a volume consumption of 3.3 million metric tons.
- Europe is the third-largest market for liquid fertilizers in the world, accounting for about 15.6% of the total liquid fertilizer market. This is due to the dominance of better irrigation systems in the region. For instance, countries like Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and France have more than 55% of their irrigated land covered by sprinklers or micro-irrigation systems, thus driving the market in the region.
- Governments across the region are continuously promoting the adoption of micro-irrigation systems through price subsidies. Therefore, the adoption of liquid fertilizers in the region is expected to increase in the future, with the increased adoption of advanced irrigation methods.
- Hence, there is an increasing trend toward the adoption of liquid fertilizers due to the ease of application, uniform distribution, and reduction in the cost of application. These factors may drive the liquid fertilizer market between 2023 and 2030.
Global Liquid Fertilizer Market Trends
The rising pressure on the agriculture industry to meet the increasing demand for food is expected to increase the area under field crop cultivation
- The global agricultural sector is currently facing many challenges. According to the UN, the world population is likely to exceed nine billion by 2050. This population growth may overburden the agricultural industry, which is already experiencing an output loss due to a lack of laborers and the shrinkage of agricultural fields caused by rising urbanization. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, 70% of the global population is expected to live in cities by 2050. Due to the global loss of arable land, farmers now need to utilize more fertilizers to increase crop yields.
- Asia-Pacific is the world's largest producer of agricultural products. Agriculture is critical to the region's economy, as it employs about 20% of the total available workforce. Field crop cultivation dominates the region, accounting for more than 95% of the total crop area in the region. Rice, wheat, and corn are the major field crops produced in the region, which accounted for about 24.3% of the total crop area in 2022.
- North America is the second-largest arable region of the total agricultural land area in the world. Diverse varieties of crops are grown in North American farms, primarily field crops. As per the USDA, corn, cotton, rice, soybean, and wheat are among the region's dominant field crops. The United States dominated the market by accounting for 46.2% of the total area under crop cultivation during the study period, with field crops covering the majority of the area compared to other crop types. Crop acreage in the country fell significantly between 2017 and 2019, primarily due to unfavorable environmental conditions that resulted in heavy floods in areas such as Texas and Houston.
The global average application rate of primary nutrient nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus in field crops is 164.31 kg/ha
- Corn, rapeseed, cotton, sorghum, rice, wheat, and soybean are some of the major primary nutrient-consuming crops worldwide. The primary nutrient application rates for these field crops are 230.57 kg/ha, 255.75 kg/ha, 172.70 kg/ha, 158.46 kg/ha, 154.49 kg/ha, 135.35 kg/ha, and 120.97 kg/ha, respectively. Primary nutrient fertilizers are crucial for crops because they play an essential role in plant metabolic processes and assist in forming tissues such as cells, cell membranes, and chlorophyll. Phosphorus is essential for growing high-quality crops; potassium activates the enzymes needed for plant growth and development.
- The global average application rate of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus in field crops is 164.31 kg/ha. Nitrogen is the most widely used primary nutrient fertilizer in field crops, accounting for an application rate of 224.6 kg/hectare, followed by potassic fertilizers with 150.3 kg/hectare, and phosphorus was the third most consumed fertilizer with an application rate of 117.9 kg/hectare in 2022.
- In 2022, the nitrogen application rate was highest in rapeseed at 347.4 kg/hectare. Similarly, the phosphorus application rate was highest in corn at 156.3 kg/hectare, and the potassium application rate was highest in canola at 248.6 kg/hectare. The global field crop cultivation area is increasing, particularly in South America and Asia-Pacific. These are the potential growing markets for fertilizers. Due to their efficiency, specialty fertilizers are widely used in developed regions such as Europe, North America, and other regions with widespread nutrient deficiencies. These factors are anticipated to drive the primary nutrient fertilizers market between 2023 and 2030.
Liquid Fertilizer Industry Overview
The Liquid Fertilizer Market is fragmented, with the top five companies occupying 15.48%. The major players in this market are Grupa Azoty S.A. (Compo Expert), ICL Group Ltd, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA and Yara International ASA (sorted alphabetically).
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