Specialty fertilizers market records expansion in 2024

The specialty fertilizers market experienced a new period of expansion in 2024, reaffirming its upward trend, now at a more robust level compared to 2023. Closing the year with growth of 18,9%, revenue reached the significant mark of $ 26,9 billion, as revealed by the market intelligence report of the Brazilian Association of Plant Nutrition Technology (Abisolo), in the 2025 edition of its Yearbook.

Clorialdo Roberto Levrero, president of Abisolo’s Board of Directors, highlights that in 2024, producers postponed input purchasing decisions as much as possible, keeping sales relatively stable until mid-year. “Starting in September, with greater clarity in the agricultural scenario, farmers formalized the purchase of the inputs that were missing for crop management,” observes Levrero. He highlights that the industry mobilized to overcome logistical bottlenecks and was able to promptly meet demand, demonstrating once again that producers understand the importance of specialty fertilizers for high-performance agriculture.

When analyzing the growth of the sector, Levrero also highlights the importance of investments in Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I), which in the last decade represented, on average, around 2,8% of the sector's revenue. This continuous contribution to innovation has been fundamental to driving new technologies and the adoption of high-quality products in the field.

Performance categories

Product type: The Abisolo Yearbook points to significant trends in performance by product type. There was a contraction in the Organomineral Fertilizers (-19,7% in revenue in 2024, compared to 2023) and Organic Fertilizers (-44,0%) segments, while Biofertilizers (+1,4%) and especially Special Mineral Fertilizers (+30,7%) registered growth.

Application Mode: Regarding performance by application method, in 2024, special fertilizers intended for application via seeds (+49,6%) and via fertigation/hydroponics (+36,1%) stood out, followed closely by those for foliar application (+23,2%). The latter segment, of greater economic relevance within the sector, also showed strong growth in the year. Products intended for application via soil, on the other hand, registered a smaller growth (+5,2%).

Sales by state: Regarding sales by state, Minas Gerais remained the largest consumer market for specialty fertilizers (18,2%), although with a slight reduction compared to 2023. São Paulo (16,7%) and Mato Grosso (13,6%) appear next as the other main consumer states. An increase in participation was observed in states such as Goiás, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and Espírito Santo in the 2024/2023 comparison, while Bahia (5,5%) and Mato Grosso do Sul (5,4%) recorded slightly lower shares than in the previous year.

Sales by crop: Regarding sales by crop, soybeans remained the main crop requiring special fertilizers, although with a smaller share than in the previous year, while sugarcane and fruit crops significantly increased their use of these inputs. The vegetable group, on the other hand, recorded a significant reduction in its share.

In short, the robust performance of the specialty fertilizers market in 2024 reflects not only the sector's resilience in the face of economic and logistical challenges, but also the continued search for innovation and the growing adoption of high-quality inputs by Brazilian farmers.

Organic-Based Soil Conditioners 

In 2024, revenue from this product category was R$129,1 million, a 7,6% reduction compared to 2023. Fluid soil conditioners were less impacted, registering a 2,2% drop, while solid conditioners suffered a sharper contraction of 14,6%. Considering the product classes, conditioners classified as “Class A” saw a 5,3% drop in revenue, and those in “Class F” fell 10,4% in the year.

In terms of sales by crops, in 2024 there was a drop in the share of soybeans and sugarcane in soil conditioner sales, while crops such as corn, vegetables, coffee and fruits increased their share. It is worth noting that fruits and coffee were among the main consumer segments of these inputs, reflecting a diversification in demand.

In relation to sales by state, São Paulo was the largest consumer of soil conditioners in 2024, followed by Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, highlighting the concentration of the use of these products in important agricultural hubs in the Brazilian Southeast.

Plant Substrates

In 2024, the plant substrates market had a turnover of R$ 421,2 million, showing a growth of 8,0% compared to 2023. This positive result is mainly due to the increase in the volume sold, which reached 750 thousand cubic meters in the year, above the 715 thousand m³ sold in 2023, which indicates greater demand for these inputs in the cultivation of seedlings and plants.

In sales by region, the Southeast remains the largest consumer of substrates, accounting for 53,5% of sales in 2024, followed by the South (23,2%) and Northeast (12,7%) regions. In sales by crop, the use of substrates was especially concentrated in vegetables, fruits and flowers, which together represented 51% of the volume sold in the year. Forestry crops (21%) and tobacco (12%) also had significant weight.