Global Coated Fertilizers Market Report and Forecast 2024-2032

Global Coated Fertilizers Market Outlook

The global coated fertilizers market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% during the period 2024-2032. Decreasing agricultural land, increasing global population, and the need for efficient use of fertilizers are expected to drive the global market. Controlled release fertilizers (CRFs) have been researched to offer a safer, economical and efficient way of administering nutrients. Commercial CRFs using polymer coatings are mostly made of thermoplastic resin such as polyolefin, polyvinylidene chloride and copolymers. There is also increased interest in natural polymers that are biodegradable and non-toxic to the environment. Natural polymers are usually used in combination with other materials to form composites. These factors are expected to drive the global market. North America, Europe and Asia are expected to be key markets.

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Global Market Likely to be Driven by the Need for Efficient Use of Fertilizers

Different types of coatings have been applied to fertilizer particles to regulate their solubility in soil. Regulating the rate of nutrient release could offer multiple environmental, economic, and yield benefits. Several materials have been used as coatings on soluble fertilizers. Coatings are generally applied to granular or prilled nitrogen (N) fertilizer, but multi-nutrient fertilizers also are coated. As urea carries the highest nitrogen of common soluble fertilizers, it forms the base material for most coated fertilizers.

Elemental sulfur (S) was the first commonly used fertilizer coating. It entailed spraying molten sulfur over urea granules, followed by an application of sealant wax to plug any cracks or imperfections in the coating. An improvement in the process was later adopted when the sulfur layer was covered with a thin layer of organic polymer. Other coated fertilizers are made by reacting different resin-based polymers on the surface of the fertilizer granule. Another technique warrants using low-permeability polyethylene polymers in combination with high-permeability coatings. Different manufacturers use different coating materials and processes. The thickness and composition of the fertilizer coating is carefully adjusted to regulate nutrient release rate for particular applications. The duration of nutrient release from particular fertilizers can differ from several weeks to months; additional expense is related to adding a coating to a fertilizer particle, hence, coated fertilizers cost more than uncoated materials.

Applications of Coated Fertilizers in Agricultural and Horticultural Situations Expected to Drive Market Growth

Coated fertilizers are used in multiple agricultural and horticultural situations. These offer a prolonged supply of nutrients that offer several benefits, including sustained nutrient release (that could reduce leaching and gaseous losses), reduced labour and application costs (due to reduced need for several fertilizer applications), better toleration of closely placed fertilizer by the seedlings, uniform plant nutrition due to prolonged nutrient release, enhanced growth and better plant performance. These benefits are expected to drive the global coated fertilizers market. Coating materials generally fall under two categories - inorganic materials and organic polymers. Inorganic materials include sulfur, bentonite, and phosphogypsum. Organic polymers could be synthetic polymers, like polyurethane, polyethylene, alkyd resin, etc., or natural polymers like starch, chitosan, cellulose, etc. Organic materials such as biochar, rosin and polyphenol are also being employed.

Anticipating the pattern of release of nutrients from coated fertilizers in extensive soil and cropping conditions is complex due to several controlling environmental factors. For example, several coated fertilizers release more quickly in the presence of increased moisture and soil temperature. Some products rely on soil microbial activity for nutrient release. Fertilizer coatings are commonly used to regulate dust emission, minimize caking, increase flowability, minimize moisture pickup, stabilize the surface, enhance compatibility in end uses, enhance appearance, and modify nutrient release characteristics.

Growing Prominence of Specialty Fertilizers Likely to Boost Market Growth

Coating is a valued means for producers because it necessitates significantly less capital investment in R&D, infrastructure, raw materials, and market development. At times, producers may take a product already on the market, coat it, and manufacture something with added value that could be sold as a premium specialty product. Thus, producers can integrate a coating line into their current production facility, or employ an existing coating line when available, instead of investing in an entirely new process and plant. Growing understanding of crop nutrition, factors such as decreasing agricultural land, increasing demand for food, and growing global population are driving demand for specialty fertilizers, steering in a new generation of smarter, more efficient products. These factors are likely to contribute to growth of global coated fertilizers market. Coating is a key approach, as it can not only be employed to manufacture specialty products, but also to enhance the quality of existing products. Specialty fertilizers encompass a broad range of products devised to improve performance in a way that maximizes crop nutrition as well as minimizes environmental impact.

Market Segmentation

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By type, the market is segmented into:

• Sulfur-coated Fertilizers
• Polymer-coated Fertilizers
• Others

By crop type, the market is classified into:

• Cereals and Grains
• Oilseeds and Pulses
• Fruits and Vegetables
• Turf and Ornaments
• Others

By region, the market is divided into:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East and Africa

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Key Industry Players in the Market

The report presents a detailed analysis of the following key players in the global coated fertilizers market, looking into their capacity, and latest developments like capacity expansions, plant turnarounds, and mergers and acquisitions:

• Fertil 
• ICL Specialty Fertilizers
• COMPO EXPERT GmbH
• Everris International B.V.
• Jcam Agri. Co. Ltd
• Others

The EMR report gives an in-depth insight into the industry by providing a SWOT analysis as well as an analysis of Porter’s Five Forces model.

Key Highlights of the Report