Market Trends of Stored Grain Insecticides Industry
Stored grain pest- per capita loss
Owing to the infestation of pests, mites, rodents, and birds, around 1,300 million metric ton of food grains are being wasted annually. The use of insecticides is a very effective method to control insects and pests in silos, grain bins, and warehouses. According to Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the average production loss of the post-harvest produce is estimated to be around 5% in the developed countries, 7% in industrialized countries, and around 7% in developing countries, annually. The increasing concerns toward reducing post-harvest losses, especially from the emerging economies, such as India and China, seems to be an opportunity, which can enhance the sales of warehouse insecticides during the study period. Insecticides are mandatory for trade processes and are important for the quarantine process, as elimination of toxic substances from few crops, especially horticulture crops, is essential to increase the quality of produce in the export market. In such cases, chemical treatment with insecticides is only the technique available, which works with high efficiency.
Asia Pacific Dominates the Market
According to a report by FAO, insect activity is on the rise because of the increasing temperature in the temperate crop-growing regions of India. This, in turn, is leading to the nationwide losses in the cultivation of crops, such as rice, corn, and wheat, by about 10-25% with per degree Celsius rise in mean surface temperature. The most common insects damaging grain storages in India are the rice weevil, the khapra beetle, the grain moth, and the lesser grain/ hooded-grain/ paddy borer. These affect a host of stored grains ranging from rice, wheat, maize, jowar, barley, and other grains. The increase in infestation of stored grains by such insects is further enhancing the market for stored grain insecticides in the country. However, according to reports by IRRI, the overuse and misuse of stored grain insecticides in India is disrupting the natural control mechanisms of rice and other grains, and hence, the FSSAI has set a maximum regulatory limit to the usage of such insecticides. This is going to deter the growth of the market to some extent in the said forecast period.
