Based on the 2022 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data of the United Nations, the global seed treatment market value reached approximately US$6.1 billion. 

From 2023 to 2028, the market is expected to thrive at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5%.

The popularity of seed coating is particularly much higher in developed countries, with the percentage of applications ranging from 50% to 70%, attributable to a series of influencing factors such as the soaring labor and land costs, the urgent market demand for high-quality agricultural products and the increasing popularity of advanced seed coating technologies. Driven by a farmer’s growing awareness of the importance of seed coating, the adoption of seed coating will continue to rise in the years ahead. 

Global Seed Treatment Market (In US$1 million)

Chinese domestic seed treatment market

From 2008 to 2012, the seed treatment market proliferated from RMB800 million yuan to RMB1.6 billion yuan, which quickly increased from RMB1.6 billion yuan to RMB2.4 billion yuan from 2013 to 2023. There are about 170 Chinese seed treating agent manufacturers, with 1,097 product registrations up to May 2024.

Chinese Seed Treatment Market (In RMB100 million)

Crops for Application

According to statistics, in 2023, the area of crops covered by seed treatment in China was nearly 1.4 billion mu (1mu=1/15 hectare), accounting for 30% of the country’s crop planting area and 24% of the country’s pest control-covered area. The seed-treated wheat and corn area is relatively larger, while the seed-treated soybean area is relatively small. With the promotion of the sowing techniques of high-quality hybrid rice and conventional rice, as well as planting of upland rice, the rice market is expected to be promising for seed treatment. Conversely, expanding soybean planting areas also provide a promising future for applying seed treatment to soybean plantations. 

Seed Treatment Product Registrations by Crops

Mixture Product Registrations by Active Ingredient (Top 10)

Source: China Pesticide Information Network