Global Sulfur Fertilizers Market is Segmented By Type(Sulfate containing fertilizers, Fertilizers containing elemental sulfur, Liquid sulfur fertilizers, and Others), By Form(Liquid and Solid), By Crop Type(Fruits & Vegetables, Cereal & Grains, Oilseeds & Pulses, and Others), and By Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa) – Share, Size, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2024-2031
Market Overview:
The global sulfur fertilizers market is estimated to reach a high CAGR of 4.9% during the forecast period 2024-2031
Sulfur fertilizers contain sulfur which plays an important role in boosting plant metabolism. Sulfur is important for the formation of plant proteins, amino acids, some vitamins and enzymes. The requirement for sulfur fertilizer is expanding at an impressive rate, due to growing population and demand for food. This in turn is boosting demand for producing higher efficiency crops. Hence, use of fertilizer such as sulfur fertilizer is increasing in agriculture. Use of sulfur in fungicides and bug sprays and increasing use of sulfur in nourishment is also expected to drive the growth of the market. Around 68 million tons of sulfur is produced annually, of which around 99% is a by-product of oil and gas production and refining. Sulphur is produced in all world regions, but half of all production takes place in the Middle East and North America. Almost 60% of all sulfur is used to produce fertilizer, ranging from phosphates, ammonium and potassium sulphates, complex fertilizers and sulfur bentonite. The production of phosphoric acid is the single largest application, accounting for over 45% of sulfur demand.
Source: DataM Intelligence Analysis (2021)
Market Dynamics:
Growing sulfur deficiency is expected to drive the market growth
Sulfur deficiencies have become more common in recent years, in large part, as a result of increasing regulations around emissions, particularly those targeting sulfur dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels. There are a number of reasons why sulfur deficiency appears is becoming a more common occurrence, including reduced atmospheric S deposition, continued and increasing crop removal of sulfur, greater use of no tillage, and high amounts of crop residues. Sulfur emission has decreased significantly over the last decades. For instance, In the United States, Sulfur dioxide emission (SO2) has fallen to 2.82 million tons in 2017 from 31.22 million tons in 1970. The reduction in sulfur dioxide is mainly due to the Clean Air Act, which includes the implementation of the Acid Rain Programme. As the Clean Air Act is progressing positively, there has been a reduction in sulfur emission, so the amount of atmospheric sulfur deposited in the soil is only 25%. Crops are now deficient with sulfur and in the future, more deficiency of sulfur will continue due to the "Clean Air Act" which will drive the sulfur fertilizers market during the forecast period.
Market Segmentation
Elemental sulfur is expected to dominate the global sulfur fertilizers market
Elemental sulfur is expected to be a major segment of the global sulfur fertilizer market during the forecast period. Elemental sulfur is unavailable to plants, unlike sulfate fertilizer. Crops do not have the ability to uptake elemental sulfur, unless elemental sulfur is converted into sulfate. Hence, elemental sulfur is first converted into sulfate by bacteria of the thiobacillus family. The conversion rate depends on the warm, moist soils that have large bacterial population. Commonly, conversion from elemental sulfur to sulfate takes place until the soil temperature is 60 °F. In order to attain higher conversion rates, elemental sulfur is commonly added into the soil. However, the response of crop to elemental sulfur can be delayed and irregular if optimal conditions of soil are not met. Demand for elemental sulfur is primarily concentrated in developed regions. Key manufacturers in Europe and North America are enhancing their existing product line by blending elemental sulfur with other fertilizers in order to improve the yield of the resulting blended fertilizers.
Based on crop type, sulfur fertilizers are widely used for oilseeds & pulses. Oilseeds, such as rapeseed, consume high amount of sulfur fertilizer. Globally, rapeseed is mainly grown on more than 31 million hectares of land. Rapeseed contains high concentration of sulfur in its tissues and seeds. Hence, there is particularly higher need for sulfur than that of yield potential. Therefore, sulfur management plays a crucial role in the production of rapeseed. Sulfur deficiency is increasing in Asia Pacific, due to the decline in aerial deposition of sulfur. This is projected to drive the demand for sulfur fertilizer in oilseed & pulses application in the near future.
Geographical Penetration
Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate the global sulfur fertilizers market in the year 2020
The Asia-Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing market as the region is driven by the increasing demand for high-quality agriculture produce with the increase in agriculture practices. Countries such as India and China are major players in this region. Major crops produced in Asia include rice, sugar beet, fruits & vegetables, cereals, and grains; the region consumes 90% of the global rice produced. There is a huge demand for sulfur fertilizers market in Asia Pacific due to the direct use of micronutrients to treat plant deficiencies and are often sprayed in combination or as additives. On the other hand, North America sulfur fertilizers market is expected to hold market revenue share of YY% in the year 2020. Large agriculture area and awareness about the use of sulfur is the main reason for the growth of the specific market.
Source: DataM Intelligence Analysis (2021)
Competitive Landscape:
The global market is highly fragmented in nature owing to presence of a large number of players. Some of the key players operating in the global market are Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Mosaic, Sulphur Mills Limited, ICL Fertilizers, AgroLiquid, Repsol, Coromandel International Limited, and Balchem Inc among others. Key players are focusing on various strategies such as capacity expansions, product innovations and agreements. For instance, in March 2020, Mosaic Company signed an agreement with Financial Technology Research Centre (FTRC) at University of Adelaide in Australia to focuses on improved fertilizer performance. In October 2019, K+S Aktiengesellschaft announced that it had increased the production capacity of its magnesium sulfate with commissioning of a new facility at the Wintershall site at the Werra plant, based in Heringen, Germany. In December 2018, EuroChem Group announced that it had started production of Urea Ammonium Sulfate (UAS) at its Novomoskovskiy Azot production unit based in Russia. In the same year, the company signed a take-or-pay agreement for expected output of sulfate of potash (SOP) from the Colluli Potash Project in Eritrea, East Africa.
COVID-19 Impact: The global sulfur fertilizers market remained resilient to the pandemic owing to exemption of agricultural practices from lockdowns
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the fertilizer industry has been significantly affected in many parts of the world by the outset of the pandemic. COVID-19 outbreak has completely disrupted the manufacturing and supply chains of fertilizers, which may hamper the market in short term. In Europe, where sulfur is broadly used in the chemicals industry, rather than fertilizers, already lower levels of demand are noted, particularly as there is low demand for products like caprolactam, and logistics are difficult. Due to the shortage of labor and the shutdown of a few fertilizer plants located in the integrated chemical complexes, shipments were affected in the initial lockdown process. China, being the epicenter of the pandemic, was greatly impacted in the beginning. Production rates fell to around 20-30% of total capacity causing a significant impact not just on the supply of phosphate fertilizers but also on demand for raw materials such as sulfur and sulfur acid. Hubei accounts for some 25-30% of all sulfuric acid consumption across China. The lockdown in Hubei has caused severe bottlenecks in the delivery chain for sulfuric acid leading to storage constraints for many smelters all over the country. However, the conditions in the country have stabilized, and production rates have increased for all fertilizers. Hence, the overall effect of COVID-19 on the sulfur fertilizer industry is observed to be resilient.
Why Purchase the Report?
- Understand the current market scenario and viability of global sulfur fertilizers over the forecast period
- Visualize the composition of the global sulfur fertilizers market in terms of type, crop type and form to identify major players, growth potential and market strategies
- Identify the key regulations prevailing in the market and understand their impact on the market over the forecast period
- Understand the key business factors such as market competition, product pricing, new product developments and patent filings pertaining in the market
What we offer?
- PDF report with the most relevant analysis cogently put together after exhaustive qualitative interviews and in-depth market study
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- Market share analysis covering business revenues ($) and revenue share (%) of key market players
The global sulfur fertilizers market report would provide an access to approximately 45 market data tables, 45 figures, and 180 pages
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