Increase in focus on the reduction of post-harvest losses to Drive the Growth of Agricultural Fumigants Market
The global agricultural fumigants market size was valued at USD 1.52 Billion in 2016. It is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.10% from 2017, to reach USD 1.94 Billion by 2022.
The reduction of post-harvest food losses is a critical component for ensuring food security. Post-harvest losses arise from freshly harvested agricultural produce undergoing changes during handling. Post-harvest losses are a measurable reduction in foodstuffs and affect both quantity and quality. According to the UN DESA (United Nations Department of Economic & Social Affairs) report the global population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, further adding to global food security concerns. Thus, food availability and accessibility can be raised by increasing production and reducing losses.
Post-harvest losses can be avoided by undertaking fumigation for pest prevention. For example, the decay of citrus post-harvest is controlled by ammonia gas fumigation. Post-harvest green mold and blue mold, caused by Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium italicum respectively, are effectively controlled by ammonia gas fumigation of lemons and oranges. This treatment does not harm oranges; however, it causes the tissue within previously injured areas on the crust of lemons to become darker in color. Fumigation of lemons with ammonia slightly accelerates the natural transition of the color of the crust from green to yellow. Thus, fumigation technology helps in preventing post-harvest losses to maintain the quality of agricultural commodities. Also, fumigation helps in the thorough cleaning of storage areas, silos, or warehouses. This is employed as a further preventative method in pre-harvest cleaning for the storage of grains.
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