Post-harvest Treatment Market (By Type; By Crop Type: Fruits & Vegetables, Flowers & Ornamentals, Other Crop Types; By Origin: Natural, Synthetic) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, Revenue, Regional Outlook and Forecast 2024-2033

Post-harvest Treatment Market Size and Growth

The global post-harvest treatment market size was estimated at around USD 2.04 billion in 2023 and it is projected to hit around USD 4.14 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 7.34% from 2024 to 2033.

Key Pointers

• Asia Pacific dominated the global market with the largest market share of 42% in 2023.
• By Type, the coatings segment held the largest revenue share of 32% in 2023.
• By Crop Type, the fruits and vegetables segment generated the maximum market share in 2023.
• By Origin, the synthetic segment dominated the global market in 2023.

Post-harvest Treatment Market Overview

The post-harvest treatment market plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and longevity of agricultural produce after it has been harvested. This market encompasses a range of treatments, technologies, and solutions aimed at preserving freshness, enhancing shelf life, and minimizing post-harvest losses.

At its core, the post-harvest treatment market is driven by the growing demand for efficient and sustainable solutions to address challenges such as spoilage, rot, and decay that can occur during storage, transportation, and distribution. Factors such as increasing global food demand, rising consumer expectations for fresh and high-quality produce, and the need to reduce food waste are key drivers propelling the growth of this market.

Post-harvest Treatment Market Growth Factors

The growth of the post-harvest treatment market is driven by an increasing global demand for fresh and high-quality produce is fueling the adoption of post-harvest treatments to preserve freshness and extend shelf life. Additionally, the need to minimize post-harvest losses due to spoilage and decay is pushing farmers and food processors to invest in effective treatment solutions. Furthermore, rising consumer awareness about food safety and sustainability is driving demand for environmentally friendly and residue-free treatment options. Moreover, advancements in technology and research are leading to the development of innovative treatment methods that offer enhanced efficacy and safety. Overall, these factors are contributing to the continued growth and expansion of the post-harvest treatment market worldwide.

Asia Pacific Post-harvest Treatment Market Size 2024 to 2033

The Asia Pacific post-harvest treatment market was estimated at USD 0.85 billion in 2023 and it is expected to surpass around USD 1.73 billion by 2033, poised to grow at a CAGR of 7.36% from 2024 to 2033.

In contrast, Asia Pacific emerged as the dominant market segment in 2023, capturing a significant revenue share of 42%. This dominance is attributed to the region's burgeoning population, resulting in heightened demand for fresh fruits and vegetables. Consequently, the agricultural sector faces increasing pressure to enhance production while minimizing food waste across the supply chain. Leveraging post-harvest treatments becomes crucial in this context, as they play a pivotal role in extending shelf life and reducing spoilage, ensuring a greater quantity of produce reaches consumers.

North American consumers exhibit a strong preference for fresh, top-quality fruits and vegetables. This demand is met by post-harvest treatments that effectively preserve the appearance, texture, flavor, and nutritional content of produce, thereby meeting consumer expectations. With busy lifestyles prevalent in the region, there's a notable inclination towards convenient and easily accessible fresh produce. By extending shelf life, these treatments enable consumers to purchase fruits and vegetables less frequently, thus curbing food waste at home.

Post-harvest Treatment Market Trends:

• Increased Adoption of Natural and Biological Treatments: There's a noticeable shift towards the use of natural and biological post-harvest treatments, driven by consumer demand for organic and sustainable products. Biological control agents, such as beneficial microorganisms and biopesticides, are gaining traction as alternatives to synthetic chemicals.
• Focus on Waste Reduction and Circular Economy: With increasing awareness of food waste and its environmental impact, there's growing emphasis on implementing circular economy principles in post-harvest management. Strategies such as valorization of by-products, composting, and energy recovery are gaining momentum as part of holistic waste reduction efforts.
• Expansion of Cold Chain Infrastructure: The expansion of cold chain infrastructure is critical for maintaining the quality and freshness of perishable commodities during storage and transportation. Investments in refrigeration facilities, cold storage warehouses, and refrigerated transport are on the rise to support the growing demand for temperature-sensitive products.
• Regulatory Emphasis on Food Safety and Quality: Stringent regulations and standards related to food safety and quality are shaping the landscape of post-harvest treatments. Compliance with regulations such as Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), and Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) is driving the adoption of safe and sustainable treatment practices.
• Emergence of Novel Treatment Technologies: Continuous innovation is driving the emergence of novel treatment technologies aimed at addressing specific challenges in post-harvest management. These include advanced packaging materials, nanotechnology-based solutions, and novel sanitization methods, offering improved efficacy and safety profiles.
• Growing Market for Value-Added Treatments: There's a growing market for value-added post-harvest treatments that go beyond preservation to enhance product attributes such as flavor, texture, and nutritional content. Treatments such as controlled atmosphere storage, edible coatings, and modified atmosphere packaging are gaining popularity for their ability to enhance product value and consumer appeal.

Type Insights

The coatings segment emerged as the dominant player in the global market, commanding a revenue share of over 32% in 2023. This growth is primarily attributed to its capability to provide a multi-layered approach to extending shelf life and preserving quality. Coatings serve as a thin, physical barrier that minimizes water loss from the produce, thereby helping maintain firmness, texture, and weight.

Moreover, selective coatings facilitate the regulation of gas exchange, including oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2), between the fruit or vegetable and its surroundings. This regulation can effectively slow down respiration, a natural process contributing to ripening and spoilage. By prolonging freshness, coatings substantially reduce post-harvest losses, benefiting both producers and consumers alike.

In the realm of post-harvest treatment, cleaners play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and quality of fruits and vegetables. Throughout the harvesting, transportation, and storage processes, produce is susceptible to contamination from various sources such as dirt, debris, insects, and harmful pathogens like bacteria and mold spores. Cleaning procedures effectively remove these contaminants, thereby mitigating the risk of foodborne illness and extending the shelf life of the produce.

Crop Type Insights

In 2023, the fruits and vegetables segment emerged as the dominant force in the global market, owing to its effectiveness in slowing down processes that degrade produce quality. Post-harvest, fruits and vegetables undergo respiration, releasing water vapor and carbon dioxide. This natural process depletes their sugars and nutrients, resulting in wilting, softening, and eventual spoilage. Techniques such as appropriate storage temperatures, controlled atmosphere storage, and coatings are instrumental in slowing down respiration and prolonging shelf life.

Similarly, flowers, despite being cut from the plant, continue biological processes, necessitating post-harvest treatment to preserve their beauty and longevity in a vase. Cut flowers lose water through transpiration, where water vapor is released from their leaves and stems.

To combat this, techniques like stem re-cutting, hydrating solutions, and optimal storage temperatures aid flowers in efficiently absorbing water, thus maintaining their freshness and vibrancy. Loss of water pressure can lead to wilting and bent necks in flowers. Post-harvest treatments, such as support structures and conditioning solutions with precise sugar and acidity levels, help uphold cell turgor (pressure), preventing such issues from occurring.

Origin Insights

Based on origin, the synthetic segment dominated the global market in 2023 because it controls spoilage, extends shelf life, and prevents diseases. In some cases, they may be the only proven option for specific fruits and vegetables, especially for long-distance transport or storage. For large-scale producers, synthetic treatments can sometimes be more cost-effective than newer natural alternatives. The infrastructure and application methods for synthetics may already be established, requiring less investment than adopting new technologies.

Many consumers are increasingly concerned about using synthetic chemicals in their food. Natural treatments extend shelf life and maintain quality without artificial preservatives, appealing to health-conscious consumers. Some conventional techniques can leave chemical residues on produce. Natural treatments address this concern, potentially making the food safer for consumers. Natural treatments are often more environmentally friendly than conventional methods. They may not require as much energy or generate harmful byproducts, reducing the environmental impact of food production.

While the trend is toward natural options, some consumers may not be willing to pay a premium for them. This can influence producer decisions, especially for large retailers and supermarkets with tight profit margins. Some natural treatments may require additional infrastructure or equipment that small-scale farmers may not have access to or cannot afford. Synthetics may be a more practical option in such cases.

Post-harvest Treatment Market Key Companies

• JBT
• Syngenta Crop Protection
• Nufarm
• Bayer AG
• BASF SE
• Citrosol
• Hazel Technologies Inc.
• Lytone Enterprise Inc.
• Janssen PNP
• Futureco Chemicals Inc.

Recent Developments

• In May 2023, KitoZyme and Janssen PMP entered into an Exclusive Collaboration Agreement to assess and advance KitoZyme technologies for post-harvest application on fresh produce.
• In January 2022, Syngenta AG introduced a novel fungicide called Archive aimed at managing diseases that arise during the post-harvest period.

Post-harvest Treatment Market Segmentation:

By Type

• Coatings
• Cleaners
• Fungicides
• Ethylene Blockers
• Other Types

By Crop Type

• Fruits & Vegetables
• Fruits & Ornamentals
• Other Crop types

By Origin

• Natural
• Synthetic

By Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Central & South America
• Middle East and Africa