Market Trends of china micronutrient fertilizer Industry
The expansion of the cultivation area is driven by increasing demand for food and the country's goal to achieve self-sufficiency in staple food
- China's cultivation area for field crops expanded marginally from 126.6 million ha in 2018 to 127.8 million ha in 2022, representing 70.8% of the total cultivated land. In 2022, Corn dominated the field crop landscape, commanding a 34.2% share, trailed by rice at 23.6% and wheat at 18.3%. This increase in cultivation area is poised to drive up fertilizer demand in the nation.
- China's field crop calendar revolves around two seasons: spring/summer (April-September) and winter. Spring crops encompass early corn, early rice, early wheat, and cotton, while winter crops center around winter wheat and rapeseed. Yet, it's rice and corn that take the spotlight, contributing to a third of China's grain output. As the world's leading rice producer, China dedicated 30 million hectares to rice farming in 2022, yielding a bountiful 210 million tons. Key rice-growing regions span Heilongjiang, Hunan, Jiangxi, Hubei, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Yunan. Looking at corn, China was set to produce 277.2 million tons in 2022-2023, a 4.6 million ton surge from the previous year, buoyed by a robust harvest. The Northeast provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Inner Mongolia stand out as the corn powerhouses.
- While spring dominates China's cropping season, it grapples with heat spikes in June and July. Rice, a dietary staple for millions, bears the brunt. These scorching temperatures, coupled with meager rainfall, exacerbate mineral depletion in the soil, necessitating higher fertilizer application. Such arid conditions can also curtail crop yields.
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In China, rapeseed or canola is applied with large amounts of micronutrients compared to other field crops
- Micronutrients play a vital role in crop nutrition and growth, and their deficiency significantly impacts yields. Field crops typically receive an average application rate of 5.2 kg/hectare for micronutrient fertilizers. Among these, manganese takes the lead, with an application rate of 9.8 kg/hectare in 2022, despite being the eleventh most abundant micronutrient in the earth's crust. However, when the soil pH reaches seven or higher, chemical and microbial oxidation occur, leading to the immobilization of plant-available Mn2+. This, in turn, triggers manganese deficiency in plants.
- Following manganese, copper took the market lead with an application rate of 7.3 kg/hectare, trailed by zinc at 4.1 kg/hectare, and iron at 3.3 kg/hectare in 2022.
- In China, rapeseed or canola stands out for its higher micronutrient application rates compared to other field crops. It receives an average of 10.79 kg/hectare of micronutrient fertilizers, given the significant impact of micronutrient deficiency on oil yield. Notably, foliar application of manganese and molybdenum has shown a 1% increase in oil content in the seeds.
- Micronutrient deficiencies in soil can arise from excessive phosphate fertilization and other natural factors. Phosphate, in particular, can limit the availability of iron, zinc, and copper to crops. In China, a strategy was adopted to enhance field crop yields by reducing phosphate fertilization while simultaneously increasing zinc fertilization.
- Optimally applying micronutrient fertilizers can enhance plant efficiency in absorbing primary nutrients from the soil, thereby reducing the overall fertilizer requirement in vegetable crops.
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OTHER KEY INDUSTRY TRENDS COVERED IN THE REPORT
- The growing interest in fruit and vegetable cultivation due to better market opportunities
- In China, irrigated croplands occupy a major portion, constituting about half of the total cropland area
- According to Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, over 48.6 million hectares of soil in China exhibit deficiencies in zinc and manganese
