Global Post-Harvest Treatment Market Overview

The Global Post-Harvest Treatment Market was valued at USD 1.68 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 2.55 billion by the year 2030, growing at a CAGR of 5.3%.

Post-harvest is a process that integrates the utilization of many unit processes that occur following harvesting. Post-harvest treatment for fresh fruit, vegetables, and root crops is performed to keep the product clean, reduce moisture loss, and limit the rate of undesired chemical changes. It also helps to prevent spoilage by avoiding physical damage such as bruising. It heavily influences the final quality of a crop, whether it is consumed fresh or utilized as an ingredient in a processed food product. Because fruits and vegetables are perishable, the post-harvest treatment goods market for fruits and vegetables is utilized to extend their shelf life. This treatment not only extends the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, but also protects them from infections, poor storage conditions, and pests during local and foreign travel.

Mismanagement during the post-harvest season can be disastrous. Post-harvest losses are widespread, with over one-third of the world's food going to waste or loss. According to the World Hunger Organization, food insecurity afflicted over 333 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa alone in 2016. At the same time, the post-harvest loss has a significant impact on farmer income. Furthermore, the growing trend of consumers toward the consumption of bio-based organic products raises the demand for the global market for post-harvest treatment solutions for fruits and vegetables. Its use is growing to reduce post-harvest losses, which account for approximately one-third of the total yield.

Market Dynamics and Factors for the Post-Harvest Treatment Market:

Drivers:

Increasing Investment in Crop Post-Harvest Loss Reduction
Many factors influence post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables in general. Physical, physiological, mechanical, and sanitary losses are among these variables. Fruits and vegetables are distinguished by high levels of metabolic activity and short shelf life. As a result of these variables, a significant percentage of the food is lost between harvesting and consumption. As a result, by carefully manipulating these parameters, post-harvest loss of fruits and vegetables can be significantly decreased and shelf life enhanced. By employing crucial cultural approaches, as well as proper handling and packaging, the loss can be reduced. By safeguarding fresh food against viruses and other environmental conditions before and after harvest, the application of proper chemicals can extend the availability of fresh produce for a long time. Fruits and vegetables have also been found to benefit from controlled environment storage and regularization at low temperatures. As a result, the post-harvest treatment market is expected to develop over the forecast period.

Restraints:

Inadequate Infrastructure and Post-Harvest Handling
Post-harvest handling encompasses everything from the mechanization of harvesting, handling, and processing to weather adaptation, production techniques, management decisions, transportation facilities, grading concerns, infrastructure, customer preferences/attitudes, and financial market availability. Because of inappropriate crop handling, losses occur at each of these steps of post-harvest processing. Losses occur at steps such as drying, storage, and chemical application in less-developed and emerging countries where the supply chain is not fully mechanized. In developing nations, poor infrastructure for storage, processing, and marketing has contributed to significant levels of waste, causing restrictions in both the internal and international distribution of fruits and vegetables.

Opportunities:

Technological Development
Better cooperation and some rethinking of existing distribution networks as well as the aims of vendors, buyers, and marketers will be required to improve the delivery of high-quality, nutritious fruits and vegetables to customers. Technology can make everything possible, but the attitude of the fruit and vegetable trade players to take advantage of the changes will determine the outcome. Post-harvest treatment manufacturers in other developing nations, such as Israel, have adopted novel technology such as chemical-free fumigation techniques for potatoes and packaging solutions for fruits and vegetables. The use of technology for post-harvest treatment of fruits and vegetables is a growing trend that presents a significant opportunity for the overall growth of the market of the product.

Market Segmentation

By type, the coating segment is expected to dominate the post-harvest treatment market over the forecast period. Coatings are most commonly used on fresh fruits to extend their postharvest life by limiting the exchange of water and gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide). This principle function allows for less weight loss during storage and, in some situations, relief of postharvest physiological issues such as chilling injury or rind collapse. Furthermore, coatings can give sheen and gloss to the fruit's exterior appearance. Developing regions such as South America and the Asia Pacific will contribute significantly to the growth of the market for post-harvest treatment of fruits and vegetables, as these regions are large producers of fruits and vegetables, and thus these post-harvest methods and mechanisms are required to maintain the quality and shelf life of fresh produce and reduce losses.

By crop type, the fruit segment is anticipated to register a significant post-harvest treatment market share over the forecast period.  Fruits and vegetables are in high demand due to the increased desire for nutritious foods. Because fruits are highly perishable, the application of post-harvest treatments helps to delay ripening, enhance shelf life, and retain the appearance and freshness of the fruit. The increased demand for organic fruits and vegetables opens up the potential for organic post-harvest products, which are likely to contribute significantly to market growth.

Players Covered in Post-Harvest Treatment market are :

• AgroFresh Inc.
• BASF
• Bayer AG
• Clariant
• Decco Inc.
• Citrosol
• Janssen PMP (Belgium)
• Futureco Bioscience
• Apeel Sciences
• Polynatural
• Sufresca
• Ceradis
• Agricoat natureseal LTD.
• DIC Corporation
• DuPont de Nemours Inc.
• FMC Corporation
• FomesaFruitech
• Heubach
• BT Corporation
• Jaysynth Dyestuff
• Kolor Jet Chemical
• Nufarm
• Pace International; Syngenta AG
• Trust Chem
• Post-Harvest Solution LTD
• Xeda International
• Colin Campbell PTY LTD and other major players.

Regional Analysis for the Post-Harvest Treatment Market:

Asia Pacific region is anticipated to dominate the post-harvest treatment market over the forecast period. According to the FCI, every day in India, crops worth USD 19.4 million are thrown away owing to farm rejection and distribution delays. Poor infrastructure, low technical knowledge of appropriate agricultural techniques, imperfect market knowledge, and lack of access to markets are all contributing to India's losses. As a result, many businesses concentrate on organic growth tactics including product releases, approval, and others like patents and events. Acquisitions, partnerships, and collaborations were the inorganic growth strategy activities found in the market. In Australia and New Zealand, ethyl formate is currently compounded with CO2 for commercial use. Crop management, harvest indices, optimal maturity, integrated pest and disease management, and other innovative and inventive growing systems have been devised to enhance the yield of attractive, tasty, and nutritious fruit and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables such as potatoes, apples, tomatoes, mangoes, grapes, and cucumbers are produced and exported in large quantities by China and India. Demand for post-harvest treatment solutions is predicted to rise due to the high export and consumption rates of these fruits and vegetables.

The European and North American markets are likely to increase moderately in terms of revenue over the forecast period, owing to rising demand for food safety, quality, and shelf life of fruits and vegetables in the region. Furthermore, rising health and hygiene awareness is predicted to rise at a rapid rate.

Key Industry Developments in the Post-Harvest Treatment Market:

• In September 2021, Pace International LLC has launched PrimaFresh 60 OR, it is created specifically to improve dehydration control in stone fruit and enhance its fresh appeal.
• In 2021, AgroFresh Solutions, Inc., a global pioneer in fruit freshness solutions, has announced the debut of a new post-harvest quality platform to reduce food waste and preserve the freshness of fruits and vegetables.
• In March 2021, Lipofabrik SAS, which specializes in the manufacture, purification, formulation, and marketing of lipopeptides, has signed an agreement with Janssen PMP. Janssen PMP will create post-harvest-specific and fit-for-purpose lipopeptides formulations, including Mycosubtilin.

COVID-19 Impact on the Post-Harvest Treatment Market:

Covid-19 will undoubtedly have a disastrous effect on the economy. It has had an impact on every industry. It has a complicated and varied impact on agriculture across the various parts that make up the agricultural value chain. The nationwide lockdown, which began on March 25, 2020, has had a significant impact on people's lives and livelihoods throughout the world. Agriculture and related industries employ more than half of the country's workers. Small and marginal farmers with less than two hectares of land make up the majority of India's farmers (85 percent). Even within the various divisions, the influence varies greatly between locations and between farmers and agricultural wage laborers. This effect will be felt throughout the economy and will last for more than a few months. Agriculture's current concerns are mostly related to (a) labor availability and (b) the inability to access markets for produce owing to transportation and market operation issues. During the anticipated timeframe, it is expected that the market for post-harvest treatment products for fruits and vegetables will recover from this condition by the end of the second quarter of the following year. JBT Corporation, Agrofresh, Pace International, Syngenta, and Decco are among the top Tier I and II suppliers in the post-harvest treatment market. These companies have manufacturing facilities and suppliers scattered over the Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, South America, and the rest of the world. COVID-19, on the other hand, had an impact on their business, though it had no significant impact on their global operations and supply chain for post-harvest treatment products. Several manufacturing facilities are still operational.