Italy Water Soluble Fertilizer Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product Type (Ammonium Nitrate, Others), By Crop Type, By Application, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030

Report Overview

The Italy water soluble fertilizer market size was valued at USD 479.2 million in 2021 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.7% in terms of revenue from 2022 to 2030. This is attributed to the growing agriculture industry in the country and rising awareness to provide proper nutrition to the food crops, thereby increasing their yield is anticipated to drive the growth of the market in the country.

The country is one of the key agricultural countries in Europe with agri-food sector being the largest manufacturing sector in the country. Cereals and rice hold a significant share of the overall agri-food exports by the country. Cereals and grains require utmost care for ensuring high crop yields and generating maximum profitability for farmers.

According to the International Trade Administration, the agriculture sector is one of the key contributors to the economy of Italy, accounting for a share of 2.1% of the country’s GDP. The country ranks third in Europe in terms of agricultural productivity. Italy is a major exporter of rice in Europe. It also exports other crops such as olives, grapes, and tomatoes.

The value chain of the market includes raw material suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and end users. Different types of water soluble fertilizers need different raw materials. Some of the raw materials required for the production process include urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, potassium chloride, potassium nitrate, monoammonium phosphate, and diammonium phosphate.

The stability index is a very crucial factor during the storage and application of raw materials for these products. In the case of water soluble fertilizers, nutrient concentration, nutrient presence, and the pH of the solution have a great influence on stability. For some less soluble materials, stability is greatly impacted by the temperature. Although some these products are in a dissolved state during production, the nutrient elements are supersaturated and crystallize whenever external conditions like temperature change. 

Product Type Insights

The water-soluble NPK segment accounted for the largest revenue share of more than 16.0% in 2021. This is attributed to its ability to promote the productivity and fertility of the soil. NPK 20:20:20 promotes root development in plants and is suitable during field setting and flowering stages. It also enhances the blossoming and ripening of flowers and fields, respectively. NPK 19:19:19 is a 100% water-soluble free-flowing fertilizer. It is recommended for usage during foliar or fertigation spraying.

Urea was the second-largest product segment in 2021 accounting for 7.3% of the revenue share. This is attributed to the lower costs of urea, presence of high nitrogen content in it, and its usage in applications such as cattle feed supplements for replacing a part of proteins. Rapid hydrolysis of urea can also lead to ammonia injury to seedlings if its large quantities are placed close to seeds. Thus, it is necessary to place urea fertilizers properly with respect to seeds. It is available as a prilled or granulated material. The granulated form of urea is increasingly suitable for fertilizer blends as granules are hard, large, and highly moisture resistant.

Others segment include ammonium sulphate nitrate, diammonium phosphate, single superphosphate, etc. Ammonium sulphate nitrate improves the fertility of the soil due to simultaneous supply of sulphur and nitrogen thereby increasing the growth & yield of the plants.

Crop Type Insights

The horticultural openfield segment accounted for the largest revenue share of more than 38.4% in 2021. This is attributed to the presence of good climatic conditions in the country for open-field horticulture. Open-field cultivation of pulses, cereals, and industrial crops results in low income for farmers while it is highly profitable for the cultivation of fields, vegetables, etc.

The field crops segment was the second-largest crop type segment and is predicted to grow with a 6.5% CAGR in terms of revenue over the forecast period. This is attributed to. The status of the country as one of the leading producers of fields in Europe. Italy has one of the most varied and wide-ranging field industries in Europe. Some of the widely grown fields in the country include grapes, apples, figs, plums, pears, etc. Most field production in South and Central Italy is carried out in the Mediterranean climate zone, while the field production areas of northern Italy have humid temperate climates.

Other crop types include cereals, grains, oilseeds, and pulses. The usage of water soluble fertilizers for these crops leads to their increased yields. Water soluble fertilizers enable the supply of a precise amount of nutrients required by plants for their effective growth. They also help in maintaining NPK nutrient balance and make the nutrients easily available to plants.

Application Insights

The fertigation application accounted for the largest revenue share of more than 50.0% in 2021. This is attributed to the surged utilization of the fertigation method for applying these to crops in Italy. Fertigation enables uniform distribution of adequate nutrients and water supplies to crops at precise timing to meet their nutritional requirements. It also leads to considerable savings in product usage and enables a reduction in leaching losses. Drip fertigation is the most efficient method of using these products as it delivers nutrients to the root zone.

These products can also be used as a raw material for producing compound fertilizers which consist of numerous nutrients in each granule. They are produced using basic fertilizers such as ammonium phosphate, ammonia, and urea. They differ from their blended counterparts, which are mixed for achieving the desired average nutrient composition required by plants.

Foliar application was the second-largest segment and is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 4.5% over the forecast period. This is attributed to minimal water pollution and reduction in the leaching of nitrates and other elements into the environment. The foliar method enables the direct application of water soluble fertilizers to the leaves of plants for stimulating their growth in less favorable weather conditions and avoiding nutritional deficiencies in plants.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

Market leaders have recognized the future growth prospects of these products in the country and are constantly working to innovate and introduce new products to the market in order to maintain their dominance. Companies such as ICL, Agrium Inc., K+S AKTiengesellschaft are among the leaders as they have strong product portfolios and are engaged in several research & development activities. Companies such as Valagro and Eurochem have recently launched new manufacturing plants in order to produce water soluble and foliar fertilizers. Few other companies such as Uralchem and Biolchim are expanding their scope by forming collaborative ventures with established firms. Some prominent players in the market include:

• ICL

• TIMAC AGRO

• Akzo Nobel N.V.

• ED & FMan

• PAVONI & C SPA

• Arpa Speciali

• Valagro

• Trade Corporation International

• Biolchim SPA

• Eurochem

• URALCHEM JSC

• K+S Aktiengesellschaft

• Haifa Negev technologies LTD

• COMPO EXPERT

• Agrium Inc.

• MUGAVERO

• Hydrofert

Italy Water Soluble Fertilizer Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at country level and provides an analysis on the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the Italy Water Soluble Fertilizer Market report on the basis of product type, crop type, and application:

• Product Type Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Thousand; 2018 - 2030)

  • Ammonium Nitrate

  • Ammonium Sulphate

  • Calcium Nitrate

  • Potassium Sulphate

  • Monoammonium Phosphate

  • Mono Potassium Phosphate

  • Urea Phosphate

  • Magnesium Nitrate

  • Magnesium Sulfate

  • Water-soluble NPK

  • Urea

  • Urea Ammonium Nitrate

  • Others

• Crop Type Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Thousand; 2018 - 2030)

  • Horticultural Openfield

  • Horticultural Greenhouse

  • Field Crops

  • Turf & Ornamental

  • Others

• Application Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Thousand, 2018 - 2030)

  • Fertigation

  • Foliar

  • Raw Material