Market Trends of Australia Crop Protection Chemicals (Pesticides) Industry
Herbicides dominated the Australia Crop Protection Chemicals Market
- Weeds are a significant biosecurity issue affecting all crops, reducing yields, and costing Australian producers a vast amount of time and money. This has led to increased demand for herbicides, which occupied the highest share of 57.4% by value in the overall crop protection chemicals market in the country in 2024.
- Of the 2,700 species of established plants, 429 have been declared noxious or are under some form of legislative control in Australia. Due in part to changes in land and water use, many of these introduced plants have spread and are causing harmful impacts that class them as weeds. Weed infestations result in significant costs and pose serious threats to primary production, amenity landscapes, and the natural environment. The total annual economic cost of weeds to Australia has been estimated to be over USD 4.00 billion. The economic impact of weeds on tourism and landscape amenity, although not quantified, is thought to be of a similar magnitude.
- The Australian Weeds Committee provides a mechanism for identifying and resolving weed issues at the national level. The Committee facilitates coordination between the Australian government and the states and territories and with other agencies and groups participating in the Australian Weeds Strategy. All levels of the Australian government are represented on the Committee.
- The market, which is anticipated to witness a CAGR of 7..0% during the forecast period (2023-2029), may be further boosted by the increasing interest and awareness of farmers about crop protection, as well as efforts from governments and agricultural institutions to educate them on identifying weeds and their proper management.
Sugarcane is the Highest Produced Crop in Australia
- Pesticides are used widely in the sugarcane industry in Australia to prevent or mitigate losses from such conditions. Several companies, such as Syngenta and Bayer, have products primarily aimed at control of these diseases. To keep the production of sugarcane growing, the use of crop protection chemicals is vital. Thus, demand among sugarcane cultivators will drive the market during the forecast period.
- Along with wheat and cotton, sugarcane is one of the region's most popular and widely cultivated plants. Sugarcane was the highest-produced crop in Australia in 2021, with a production of 31.1 million metric tons. However, sugarcane production is often restricted by dangerous diseases, such as red rot, sour rot, and rust.
- With the increasing land being converted to agricultural production, particularly sugarcane, inputs of pesticides into the Great Barrier Reef area have increased with time. However, the use of organochlorines such as hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) have ceased. The quantities of the insecticide chlorpyrifos and herbicides atrazine, diuron, and 2,4-D applied in the Herbert catchment have increased in the last few years.