Ten years of biopesticide market data of France, revealing market growth and opportunities

Kynetec has completed its 10-year data collection and observation of the French biopesticide market. Kynetec found that the country's biopesticides accounted for 10% of the total plant protection market; Biocides accounted for nearly 16% of the total biocides market; Biocides account for nearly 17% of the total pesticide market; All French grape growers use biopesticides; Nearly 40% of row-crop growers use biopesticides, especially slug-killer granules and sulfur formulation, but the area of use is still small, accounting for less than 5%.

The grape and fruit markets are mature 

French grape and fruit growers have a long history of using biocides and biocides, with product penetration approaching 100% by 2023, a figure that continues to rise from around 95% a decade ago. In theory, efficacy and environmental friendliness are the reasons for its high popularity. A range of such products on the market also helps farmers to address the biggest challenges faced by grape and seedless small fruit growing. 

The area of grapes planted with biopesticides has grown from nearly 30% in 2014 to more than 40% in 2023, and traditional pesticides are gradually being replaced on farms.

The position of the grower in the value chain affects the selection of biopesticides 

The closer growers are to consumers, such as selling produce directly from the farm or having their own brand of produce, the higher the propensity of these growers to adopt biopesticides, because the advantages of being environmentally friendly are welcomed by consumers and help them market their produce. For growers further down the value chain, this perspective is less important, while profit and price are bigger influences.

The market with the greatest potential for sales growth is cultivated crops 

Cultivated crops are the largest crop category in France, covering more than 13 million hectares, but account for only 2% of the total value of the crop protection market. Weeds are often of great concern to row-crop growers, but to date, no biological herbicide has been able to compete with conventional chemical products. While about 40% of row-crop growers use biopesticides, these solutions are generally slug granules and sulfur formulations, rather than the large-scale herbicides needed for large areas of row-crop crops.

We look forward to the introduction of selective and non-selective biological herbicides 

Selective herbicides account for 45% of the market by sales, and if an effective selective bioherbicide could enter the market at a price comparable to well-known conventional herbicides, it would be a game-changer. Non-selective herbicides are also expected.