Fertilizer Additives Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Function (Corrosion Inhibitors, Hydrophobic Agents, Anti-dusting Agents, Anti-caking Agent, Slow-Release Coatings, Others), By Form (Granules, Powders, Prilled, Others), By Application (Urea, Ammonium Nitrate, Diammonium Phosphate, Monoammonium Phosphate, Ammonium Sulphate, Triple Superphosphate, Others), By Region and Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 3.51 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	3.68%
Fastest Growing Segment	Ammonium Nitrate
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 4.36 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Fertilizer Additives Market is expected to grow from USD 3.51 Billion in 2025 to USD 4.36 Billion by 2031 at a 3.68% CAGR. Fertilizer additives are specialized chemical agents incorporated into fertilizer formulations to enhance their physical quality, stability, and performance, such as preventing caking, dusting, and moisture absorption during storage and transportation. The primary drivers sustaining market growth include the escalating global demand for agricultural commodities, which necessitates higher crop yields, and the critical requirement to minimize nutrient losses for improved economic efficiency. These fundamental necessities compel manufacturers to utilize additives to ensure product integrity and efficient nutrient delivery, distinct from shifting market trends like the emerging preference for bio-based coating materials.

However, the industry faces a significant challenge regarding stringent environmental regulations and increasing scrutiny over the chemical composition of additives, particularly concerning toxicity and biodegradability. Compliance with evolving legal standards regarding chemical safety often incurs substantial operational costs and necessitates complex formulation adjustments for manufacturers. According to the International Fertilizer Association, in 2024, global fertilizer use was forecast to increase by 2.5 percent. This volume expansion underscores the persistent operational necessity for additives to manage the quality of growing fertilizer supplies despite these regulatory hurdles.

Key Market Drivers

The expansion of the nitrogen fertilizer sector significantly propels the market as manufacturers increasingly rely on urease and nitrification inhibitors to meet environmental and efficiency standards. With nitrogen-based inputs being the most widely used, the challenge of nutrient loss through volatilization and leaching has necessitated the integration of chemical stabilizers directly into production lines. This trend is underscored by the sheer scale of anticipated production; according to the International Fertilizer Association, July 2024, in the 'Medium-Term Fertilizer Outlook 2024-2028', global ammonia capability was forecast to increase to 165.9 million tonnes of Nitrogen in 2024. Such capacity growth compels producers to adopt advanced additive formulations that extend nutrient availability in the soil, thereby aligning with both regulatory compliance and the economic demand for high-yield inputs.

Simultaneously, the critical requirement for anti-caking and anti-dusting agents in supply chain logistics serves as a foundational driver for physical additives. As fertilizers like potash and nitrates are hygroscopic and transported over vast distances, conditioning agents are indispensable to prevent clumping and ensure free-flowing application properties upon delivery. The magnitude of this logistical challenge is evident in trade volumes; according to Nutrien, November 2024, in the 'Third Quarter 2024 Results', global potash shipment forecasts were raised to between 70 and 72 million tonnes for 2024. Furthermore, major entities manage enormous throughputs that require treatment, as according to Yara International, March 2024, in the 'Integrated Report 2023', the company's total deliveries of crop nutrition products reached 30.1 million tonnes. These vast quantities mandate the continuous usage of surface-coating additives to maintain product quality from the factory gate to the farm.

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Key Market Challenges

Stringent environmental regulations and increasing scrutiny over the chemical composition of additives act as a significant barrier to the Global Fertilizer Additives Market. As governments enforce tighter standards regarding toxicity and biodegradability, manufacturers face intense pressure to eliminate traditional coating materials and conditioning agents that may persist in the environment. This regulatory environment necessitates substantial capital expenditure on research and development to engineer compliant, eco-friendly formulations. These compliance costs divert resources away from market expansion and reduce profit margins, particularly for companies unable to rapidly adapt their production lines to new chemical safety protocols.

Despite these financial and technical hurdles, the sheer scale of global agriculture demands the continued use of these agents to prevent product degradation. According to the International Fertilizer Association, in 2024, global fertilizer consumption was projected to reach 203.7 million tonnes. This massive volume of nutrients requires extensive treatment with additives to ensure stability during transport and storage. However, the obligation to treat such vast quantities with increasingly expensive, compliant chemistries limits the market's profitability and hampers the entry of new competitors who cannot sustain the high costs of regulatory adherence.

Key Market Trends

The transition to biodegradable and bio-based polymer coatings represents a critical structural shift in the market, driven by tightening regulations on microplastics and soil health preservation. Manufacturers are aggressively replacing conventional resin-based encapsulations with rapidly degradable alternatives that maintain precise nutrient release profiles without leaving persistent synthetic residues. This pivot is not merely experimental but has entered the commercial scaling phase to align with impending statutory deadlines in regions like the European Union. According to ICL Group, May 2024, in the 'ICL begins shipments of its new controlled release fertilizers with biodegradable coating' announcement, the company invested $20 million in a new production line to facilitate the supply of its eqo.x release technology, designed specifically to meet future environmental standards.

Simultaneously, the emergence of multifunctional additive formulations is reshaping product portfolios, as producers integrate biological stimulants directly into fertilizer coatings to enhance nutrient uptake and stress resilience. Unlike traditional single-purpose additives that solely address storage quality, these next-generation solutions combine physical conditioning with agronomic performance enhancers, allowing for lower nutrient application rates while maximizing yield. This trend towards value-added bio-efficiency technologies is gaining rapid traction among large-scale agricultural inputs providers. According to The Mosaic Company, November 2024, in the 'Mosaic Company Reports Third Quarter 2024 Results', the Mosaic Biosciences division, which focuses on such nutrient use efficiency technologies, achieved a market coverage of 9 million acres in 2024, highlighting the substantial adoption of these advanced additive-treated solutions.

Segmental Insights

Based on analysis from trusted market research, the Ammonium Nitrate segment is currently positioned as the fastest-growing category within the Global Fertilizer Additives Market. This rapid expansion is primarily driven by the inherent chemical properties of ammonium nitrate, which is highly hygroscopic and prone to hazardous degradation. As the agricultural sector increasingly relies on this high-nitrogen fertilizer for yield efficiency, there is a critical need for specialized additives that prevent moisture absorption and caking. Furthermore, stringent safety regulations enforced by institutions such as the European Chemicals Agency necessitate the use of advanced stabilizers to ensure thermal stability and compliance during storage and transport, significantly fueling demand in this segment.

Regional Insights

North America maintains a dominant position in the global fertilizer additives market, driven by the extensive adoption of modern agricultural techniques and a strong emphasis on nutrient use efficiency. This leadership is reinforced by stringent environmental mandates from authorities such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency, which aim to reduce nutrient runoff and groundwater contamination. Consequently, regional farmers increasingly utilize additives like stabilizers and inhibitors to ensure regulatory compliance and maximize crop yields. The presence of established agrochemical infrastructure further supports the continuous availability and application of these essential soil inputs across the region.

Recent Developments

• In December 2025, Verdesian Life Sciences announced the launch of several new nutrient use efficiency products, marking a significant expansion of its portfolio. The introductions included AMPLIO, a premium soil biostimulant designed to energize the soil microbiome, and FLO-COAT BMZ, a micronutrient coating for granular fertilizers. Additionally, the company introduced Phree-uP, a phosphorus use efficiency technology. These solutions were developed to advance sustainable crop nutrition by improving nutrient uptake and reducing environmental loss. The release highlighted the company's commitment to delivering high-performing technologies that support grower productivity and soil health.
• In August 2025, Koch Agronomic Services introduced CENTURO A-PRO, a next-generation nitrogen stabilizer specifically formulated for anhydrous ammonia applications. This new product featured a higher concentration of the active ingredient pronitridine, allowing for lower application rates per metric ton compared to previous formulations. The launch aimed to provide retailers and growers with a more efficient and convenient solution for protecting fall-applied nitrogen against leaching and denitrification losses. The company emphasized that the enhanced potency of the stabilizer offered greater flexibility for application timing, particularly in varying soil temperature conditions.
• In October 2024, Corteva Agriscience released key findings from its 2024 on-farm field trials assessing the performance of its nitrogen stabilizer portfolio. The data indicated that fields treated with the company's N-Serve nitrogen stabilizer maintained significantly higher levels of ammonium nitrogen compared to untreated or competitor-treated fields, despite heavy spring rainfall. The research also demonstrated that the stabilizer did not negatively impact beneficial non-target soil bacteria, addressing common grower concerns. These results reinforced the value of using nitrification inhibitors to protect nitrogen investments and maximize yield potential under challenging weather conditions.
• In May 2024, ICL Group commenced the commercial shipments of its controlled-release fertilizers featuring the eqo.x biodegradable coating technology. This milestone followed the product's development to meet upcoming European fertilizer standards regarding microplastics. The eqo.x coating was designed to biodegrade more rapidly in the soil while maintaining the nutrient release performance of traditional coatings. The initial deliveries were targeted at customers in the Netherlands and Switzerland for crops such as potatoes and seed onions, representing a major step forward in the market's transition toward sustainable, open-field agriculture solutions.

Key Market Players

• Clariant AG
• KAO Corporation
• Dorf-Ketal Chemicals India Private Limited
• Solvay S.A.
• Arkema–ArrMaz Chemical (Yunnan) Co., Ltd.
• Chemipol S.A.
• BASF SE
• Michelman Inc.
• TOLSA, SA
• ChemSol, LLC

By Function	By Form	By Application	By Region
Corrosion Inhibitors Hydrophobic Agents Anti-dusting Agents Anti-caking Agent Slow-Release Coatings Others	Granules Powders Prilled Others	Urea Ammonium Nitrate Diammonium Phosphate Monoammonium Phosphate Ammonium Sulphate Triple Superphosphate Others	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Fertilizer Additives Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Fertilizer Additives Market, By Function:

• Corrosion Inhibitors
• Hydrophobic Agents
• Anti-dusting Agents
• Anti-caking Agent
• Slow-Release Coatings
• Others

• Fertilizer Additives Market, By Form:

• Granules
• Powders
• Prilled
• Others

• Fertilizer Additives Market, By Application:

• Urea
• Ammonium Nitrate
• Diammonium Phosphate
• Monoammonium Phosphate
• Ammonium Sulphate
• Triple Superphosphate
• Others

• Fertilizer Additives Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE