India Seed Treatment Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The Indian seed treatment market is anticipated to register a CAGR of 6.6 % during the forecast period of 2022-2027.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there had been a supply chain disruption, due to which the agricultural sector had to face problems, such as labor unavailability, transportation barriers, restriction on market access, and the lack of inventories in some areas. ​ The delays in the transport of seed produced to the other states also resulted in a low seed supply for processing and storage. Furthermore, the nationwide lockdown has also impacted the demand for treated seeds for sowing during Kharif 2020. Hence, the market was affected by both the demand and supply side of treated seeds during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.​

Over the medium term, changing agronomic trends encourage the development of quality seeds that protects against varied climatic conditions. The primary function of seed treatment is to give protection during the germination and early development of the plant by enhancing the tolerance capacity against adverse conditions.

The majority of the farmers in the country use microbial species such as Trichoderma for treating seeds of crops such as rice. For managing the bakanae disease in the basmati rice variety in India, the combination of carbendazim and Trichoderma viride is the most preferred seed treatment method. The Indian government has started providing subsidies for the procurement of chemical seed treatment in some of its states, such as Odisha. According to the data from the Government of Odisha, farmers are receiving subsidy assistance of INR 100 per hectare for the procurement of chemical seed treatment. The provision of subsidies is anticipated to encourage investments in chemical seed treatment.​

Key Market Trends

Need for Protection Against Adverse Conditions

Seed treatment is being increasingly considered by farmers as a mode to protect investments made on good quality seeds. Seed diseases and volatile environments are a few major challenges faced by the farmers that decrease the crop yield. Therefore, this boosts the demand for seed coatings as coating the seed with pesticides, fertilizers, plant growth regulators, and others helps in accelerating seed performance and germination.​

Seed treatment has become a necessity, due to changing trends, as well as 100% seed emergence expectation by growers, even during unfavorable conditions. Top players in the market are focusing on the development of superior quality seeds through modern breeding techniques, thereby increasing the seed cost. Replanting seeds due to poor germination and insect attack is expensive. The Indian government started providing subsidies for the procurement of seed treatment in some of its states, such as Odisha. According to the data received from the Government of Odisha, farmers are receiving subsidy assistance of INR 100 per hectare for the procurement of chemical seed treatment. The provision of subsidies is anticipated to encourage investments in seed treatment in the country.​

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the area harvested under various crops has shown very minimal growth since 2017. Hence, to meet the growing demand, farmers need to enhance the yield in limited harvested areas, which creates potential space to use seed treatment practices. Thus, based on the aforementioned factors, the high cost of quality seeds and fluctuating arable land make seed treatment one of the viable options for enhancing the yield. ​

Among Product Type, Fungicides Seed Treatment Dominates the Market

Fungicide seed treatment is used to control fungal pathogens that are seed surface-borne, internally seed-borne fungal pathogens such as the loose smut fungi of cereals, and soilborne pathogens that attack germinating seeds and seedlings both pre-and postemergence. With the increasing demand for high-quality seeds with desirable agronomic traits, fungicides seed treatment is done to protect the seeds from any external damage or pest attack. Carboxy, Thiram, and Bavistin are the commonly used fungicides for seed treatment in India in many crops. Captan fungicide is also used as a seed dresser in various horticultural crops.

Loose smut is one of the most common fungal diseases affecting wheat cultivation in the country. It can hamper the growth of the emerging seedling and even damage the plant. Fungicidal seed treatment products are found most effective against seed-borne diseases like loose smut. This has increased their use in the major wheat-growing regions in the country. Therefore, based on the aforementioned factors, increased usage of fungicides on cotton, wheat, rice, and vegetables is expected to drive the market studied in the years to come.

Competitive Landscape

The Indian seed treatment market is highly consolidated, with few major players dominating the market. Bayer Crop Science AG, Syngenta, UPL Limited, BASF SE, Indofill Industrial Limited, and Adama Agricultural Solutions Limited are some of the prominent players who are operating in the market.​ Major players in the market are expanding their presence to strengthen their operations. Merger and acquisition is the most adopted strategy by prominent players to consolidate their position in the market.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

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