Europe Liquid Fertilizer Market – Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2020 - 2025)

The liquid fertilizer market in Europe valued at USD 1,959.4 million in 2019, is estimated to grow steadily with a CAGR of 3.5% during the forecast period. The European mandate on high-quality fertilizers with environmentally sustainable performance has obliged the fertilizer producers to invest heavily in energy-efficient technology in the production of ammonia across the region. According to the Annual Overview by Fertilizers Europe for 2016-2017, the ammonia plants in western Europe are the most energy-efficient with the lowest carbon dioxide emissions per ton of ammonia produced. This has positioned Europe as one of the leading energy-efficient producers of liquid nitrogen fertilizers since the introduction of the European Union's Emissions Trading System (ETS). The leading companies in the region are also developing a wide range of fully water-soluble or liquid fertilizers for application through irrigation water (fertigation) and foliar treatments. However, the increasing input costs of minerals and the rising vulnerability to the fluctuating trade policies in the world have ensured only a stable growth of liquid fertilizers in Europe in recent years as compared to other regions such as the Asia-Pacific belt.

France is the largest market accounting for a 36.8% share in the European liquid fertilizer market in 2019. Owing to a decline in the area of land dedicated to crop production, the usage of liquid fertilizers per hectare of arable land is expected to rise as they cover a hugely uniform area when applied to plants resulting in optimized crop yields. The rising rates of land conversion to settlement and infrastructure coupled with the aging farming community are further set to boost the demand for liquid fertilizers in France. According to the Feeding Life 2030 report published by Fertilizers Europe, the region is witnessing a major generational change as the average European farmer is 51 years old with 31% of farmers older than 65 years of age. Moreover, the growing awareness about the environmental benefits of organic-based liquid fertilizers is resulting in the usage of greater concentration of liquid fertilizers by farmers to cater to the growing need for food crops across the country.