Biological Molluscicides Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Type (Metaldehyde, Methiocarb, Ferrous Phosphate, Others), By Application (Field Crops, Horticultural Crops, Turf & Ornamentals, Industrial, Other), By Region and Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 387.90 Million
CAGR (2026-2031)	4.74%
Fastest Growing Segment	Metaldehyde
Largest Market	Asia Pacific
Market Size (2031)	USD 512.15 Million

Market Overview

The Global Biological Molluscicides Market will grow from USD 387.90 Million in 2025 to USD 512.15 Million by 2031 at a 4.74% CAGR. Biological molluscicides are pest control formulations derived from natural origins such as bacteria and plant extracts designed to suppress slug and snail populations with minimal environmental toxicity. The expansion of this market is fundamentally driven by increasingly strict regulatory bans on synthetic chemical agents and the rising global demand for organic food production. This upward trajectory is supported by recent sectoral performance data which reflects the broader adoption of these inputs. According to the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association, in 2024, the European biocontrol market reached a value of 1.6 billion Euros. This statistic underscores the substantial economic migration toward sustainable agricultural solutions that directly supports the biological molluscicide sector.

A significant challenge impeding rapid market scalability is the protracted and expensive regulatory approval process for new biological active ingredients. Manufacturers often face inconsistent registration frameworks across different jurisdictions which delays product commercialization and increases development costs. This regulatory bottleneck significantly slows the introduction of innovative biological solutions needed to combat invasive mollusk species and prevents the industry from efficiently meeting the growing agricultural demand.

Key Market Drivers

Stringent regulatory restrictions on synthetic chemical molluscicides constitute the primary catalyst restructuring the global market. Regulatory bodies worldwide are aggressively phasing out conventional active ingredients like metaldehyde due to their persistence in water systems and toxicity to non-target wildlife. This legislative pressure forces a direct substitution toward biological alternatives, such as ferric phosphate, which comply with stricter environmental safety standards while maintaining crop protection efficacy. The industry-wide pivot resulting from these regulations is evident in the performance of major agrochemical entities. According to Syngenta Group, April 2024, in the 'Full Year 2023 Financial Results', sales within the Biologicals segment grew by 11 percent, underscoring the accelerated commercial transition away from conventional chemistries in response to the changing regulatory landscape.

The rapid expansion of global organic farming and sustainable agriculture serves as the second critical driver fueling market demand. As producers seek to meet certification standards that strictly prohibit synthetic inputs, the adoption of organically approved slug and snail control formulations becomes mandatory. This trend is reinforced by Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies that prioritize low-risk inputs to preserve soil biodiversity. According to the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), February 2024, in the 'World of Organic Agriculture 2024' report, global organic agricultural land expanded to more than 96 million hectares, creating a massive captive audience for biological inputs. The scale of this opportunity is reflected in the revenue streams of leading developers. According to Corteva Agriscience, February 2024, in the '2023 Annual Report', the company reported that its biologicals portfolio generated net sales of approximately 420 million U.S. Dollars, highlighting the robust economic value of this sustainability-driven sector.

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Key Market Challenges

The protracted and expensive regulatory approval process constitutes a substantial barrier to the expansion of the Global Biological Molluscicides Market. Biological active ingredients often face registration frameworks originally designed for synthetic chemicals, which are ill-suited for natural compounds. This misalignment results in extensive data requirements and inconsistent testing protocols across different jurisdictions, forcing manufacturers to invest heavily in compliance rather than innovation. Consequently, the time required to bring new biological molluscicides to market increases drastically, delaying revenue generation and deterring investment from smaller biotech firms that lack the capital to navigate these complex bureaucratic landscapes.

This regulatory inefficiency directly restricts the availability of sustainable pest control options for farmers. When product approvals are stalled, the industry cannot respond swiftly to emerging invasive mollusk threats, leaving agricultural producers reliant on older chemistries. The severity of this operational bottleneck is evident in recent industry data. According to the International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association, in 2024, the regulatory review period for biocontrol solutions in the European Union extended up to ten years, a duration that starkly contrasts with faster timelines in other agricultural markets. Such delays significantly hamper the sector's ability to scale and compete effectively.

Key Market Trends

Escalating R&D investments in microbial and nematode-based solutions are fundamentally altering product pipelines as manufacturers strive to overcome the efficacy gaps of earlier biological generations. Major agrochemical companies are aggressively pivoting towards fermentation-based technologies and parasitic nematodes, such as Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, to develop molluscicides that offer kill rates comparable to synthetic chemicals while bypassing strict residue limits. This innovation drive is validated by the commercial success of portfolios dedicated to these sustainable inputs, which are capturing a larger share of corporate earnings. According to UPL Ltd, May 2024, in the 'Q4 & Full Year FY24 Results Update', the share of the company's differentiated and sustainable portfolio, which houses its natural plant protection solutions, rose to approximately 35 percent of its total crop protection revenue, signaling a robust market shift towards these advanced biological technologies.

The surging application of biological molluscicides in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and greenhouses is creating a high-value growth corridor for the industry. Producers in these high-humidity environments, which are ideal breeding grounds for slugs and snails, are increasingly adopting biological agents to adhere to zero-residue standards required by premium retail supply chains. This demand is fueling substantial capital inflows aimed at scaling the production of specialized biological controls tailored for covered crops. According to Biobest Group, January 2024, in the 'M&G Investments Invests EUR 75 Million In Biobest' press release, the company secured an equity investment of 75 million Euros to finance its continued expansion in the global biological crop protection market, underscoring the critical financial momentum behind this specialized agricultural sector.

Segmental Insights

Based on recent industry analysis, the Metaldehyde segment has emerged as the fastest-growing category within the Global Biological Molluscicides Market, primarily driven by its superior cost-effectiveness and rapid pest knockdown capabilities compared to alternative solutions. While the market generally shifts toward sustainability, commercial farmers in high-growth agricultural economies continue to favor Metaldehyde for its unmatched reliability in protecting extensive field crops from severe slug and snail infestations. This preference is reinforced by the urgent need to maximize crop yields and ensure food security in developing regions, sustaining the segment's rapid expansion despite regulatory pressures in some developed territories.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific holds the dominant position in the global biological molluscicides market due to extensive agricultural activities and the prevalence of invasive aquatic pests. Specifically, the region faces significant challenges from the Golden Apple Snail in wet rice cultivation systems across China and Southeast Asia, which drives substantial demand for effective pest management solutions. Furthermore, regulatory support from entities like China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs encourages the adoption of environmentally safer crop protection products. Consequently, the continuous shift away from synthetic chemicals to biological alternatives sustains the region's market leadership.

Recent Developments

• In August 2025, the Australian biotechnology company Cellora announced that its novel molluscicide had been selected for extensive field trials by the Australian grain industry. The trials, supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the company's sustainable solution under high-pressure pest conditions. This selection underscored the industry's interest in adopting new, environmentally friendly options to manage snail and slug populations, which cause significant yield losses and grain contamination. The initiative represented a key step toward the commercialization of new biological control tools for broadacre cropping systems.
• In May 2025, De Sangosse launched a new biological molluscicide product, IRONMAX PRO, in the Portuguese market following its regulatory approval. The product is formulated with 3% ferric phosphate and utilizes the company’s proprietary IP Max and Colzactive technologies to enhance attractiveness and palatability to slugs and snails. The launch was positioned to provide growers with a high-efficacy biorational alternative to conventional chemical baits, aligning with the increasing demand for sustainable pest control solutions in European agriculture. The product is designed to be rain-fast and effective against a broad spectrum of gastropod pests in various crops.
• In June 2024, Certis Belchim collaborated with the technology company AutoSpray Systems to secure a permit from the UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for the aerial application of slug pellets using drones. The permit allowed for the testing of the company’s biological molluscicide, Sluxx HP, which is based on ferric phosphate, to demonstrate its spreadability and ballistic properties when applied via heavy-lift drones. This development marked a potential breakthrough in application methods for biological molluscicides, particularly for accessing wet or difficult-to-reach fields where ground machinery cannot operate, thereby ensuring timely crop protection.
• In March 2024, researchers at Oregon State University announced a significant finding regarding the potential ecological impact of biological molluscicides in North America. The study revealed that a commercially available nematode, Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita, which is widely used in Europe to control invasive slugs under brand names such as Nemaslug, was found to be lethal to the Pacific sideband snail, a native species in the Pacific Northwest. This discovery highlighted the need for further risk assessment before such biological control agents are widely adopted or registered in new regions like the United States, impacting the regulatory landscape for biological molluscicide market expansion.

Key Market Players

• Lonza Group Ltd.
• Bayer CropScience Limited
• AMVAC Chemical Corporation
• BASF SE
• Adama Agricultural Solutions Ltd
• De Sangosse Ltd
• Syngenta Crop Protection AG
• QINGDAO HISIGMA CHEMICALS CO., LTD
• INDUSTRIALCHIMICA S.R.L.
• Doff Portland Ltd

By Type	By Application	By Region
Metaldehyde Methiocarb Ferrous Phosphate Others	Field Crops Horticultural Crops Turf & Ornamentals Industrial Other	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

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

• Biological Molluscicides Market, By Type:

• Metaldehyde
• Methiocarb
• Ferrous Phosphate
• Others

• Biological Molluscicides Market, By Application:

• Field Crops
• Horticultural Crops
• Turf & Ornamentals
• Industrial
• Other

• Biological Molluscicides 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