The agricultural films market is predicted to observe stable growth across the forecast period of 2018-2026 owing to the wide use of agricultural films across farming applications such as silage, mulching, greenhouse, and tunnels. The growing focus of various countries across the globe on agriculture may bring great growth opportunities for the agricultural films market.

The growth of the agricultural films market is largely concentrated on the vast use of agricultural films across numerous applications. Agricultural films also help in reducing soil compaction and are used extensively in protected cultivation.

Environmental concerns are at an all-time high. This aspect may trigger the use of biodegradable agricultural films to a great extent and eventually bring an increase in the growth rate of the agricultural films market.

Mulching is an application that uses agricultural films substantially. Mulching is a common practice used by farmers. Considering the frequent practice of mulching across various regions, the demand for agricultural films may heighten across the forecast period.

Manufacturers of agricultural films are involved in producing agricultural films that are in tandem with the expectations of the end-users. They also strive to produce and create agricultural films that efficiently fulfill the requirements effectively. Activities such as mergers, acquisitions, collaborations, joint ventures, and partnerships further help in propelling the growth rate of the agricultural films market. Some well-established players in the agricultural films market are Berry Plastics, Kuraray Co ltd., Novamont S.P.A, Ab Rani Plast Oy, Trioplast Industrier AB, and Exxon Mobil Corporation.

Geographically, the agricultural films market can be segmented into Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. The presence of massive arable land space with increasing adoption of mulching practices across India and China may enable Asia Pacific to serve as the largest growth contributor for the agricultural films market.

Agricultural Films Market - Snapshot

Agricultural films are made up of different resins including linear low density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate/ethylene butyl acrylate, and reclaims. These films provide a protective layer and suitable environment for crops, fruits, and vegetables. These protective films are placed over soil, wrapped around fodder, or covered over greenhouses in order to maintain the desired climatic conditions. Agricultural films are widely used in farming applications such as greenhouse, mulching, silage, and tunnels. These films are employed in modern farming. Agricultural films are gain popularity across the globe, as they help maximize the agriculture output.

Agricultural films are extensively utilized by rural farmers. They are also used in commercial agricultural practices. Demand for food items such as crops, fruits, and vegetables has been increasing due to the growth in the global population. Key regions across the globe are focusing on maximizing the agriculture output. Agricultural films are used to provide desirable climate, enhance soil nutrients, and maintain the value of nutrients. Usage of mulching, greenhouse, and silage bags increases the production rate by 20% to 35%. Furthermore, economies are shifting their focus on expanding the agriculture output. This is anticipated to propel the agricultural films market during the forecast period.

Developing economies in Asia Pacific such as China and India are major producers and consumers of agricultural film products. Agricultural films are employed to protect crops. Plastic mulch creates an artificial climate for crops, and this can be controlled elements require for crop growth such as, water, temperature, and nutrients. It is primarily applied in the horticultural sector to enhance production and quality of vegetables and fruits.

In terms of product, the global agricultural films market has been divided into linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), ethylene vinyl acetate/ethylene butyl acrylate (EVA/EBA), reclaims, and other films. The other films segment includes polymerization of vinyl chloride (PVC) and ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH). LLDPE is expected to account for the leading share of the agricultural films market during the forecast period. LDPE was a rapidly growing segment of the market, due to the high flexibility of LDPE, in 2017. However, rise in R&D to develop biobased agricultural films can transform the market scenario in the near future owing to their environment friendly and bio-decomposition properties.

In terms of application, the global agricultural films market has been segmented into greenhouse, mulching, and silage. Greenhouse and mulching segments held more than 75% share of the market in 2017 due to their wide consumption in farming. Greenhouse films and tunnel provide climate monitoring features. Silage agricultural films protect food from fermentation and help maintain its nutrient value for a long time. Silage is primarily used to pack food with minimum oxygen content. It helps prevent spoilage.

Based on region, the global agricultural films market has been classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. In terms of value, Asia Pacific dominated the global market in 2017. The region is projected to lead the global agricultural films market in the next few years. The market in Asia Pacific is likely to expand rapidly during the forecast period. Growth in population is fueling the demand for food in the region. This, in turn, is driving agricultural developments in countries in Asia Pacific such as India. For instance, the Government of India is striving to encourage rural farmers to adopt modern techniques of farming and employ agricultural films to enhance the production of crops, fruits, and vegetables. Mulching agricultural films are widely used by farmers due to their low cost and easy availability. Increase in commercial farming in developing economies such as China and India is a major factor boosting the demand for greenhouse setups to control climate conditions in Asia Pacific. North America is a mature region of the global agricultural films market. The market in the region is anticipated to expand at a moderate pace, due to the presence of key manufacturers. However, rise in trend of rooftop farming and farming in urban areas is propelling the greenhouse and mulching applications in North America. Europe is a well-established region of the agricultural films market due to the adoption of advanced techniques of farming in the region. Spain, Italy, and Denmark are the key countries that are widely employing the greenhouse application in Europe. This is estimated to augment the agricultural films market in the region. The agricultural films market in Latin America is expected to expand substantially during the forecast period, led by the presence of developing economies and growth of population in the region. The agricultural films market in Middle East & Africa is anticipated to expand at a sluggish pace in the near future owing to the low preference for farming and presence of infertile land in the region.

High degree of competition exists among players operating in the global agricultural films market. The market is dominated by large players that are technologically advanced. The agricultural films market is highly fragmented. Prominent players operating in the global agricultural films market are Ab Rani Plast Oy, Armando Alvarez, Berry Plastics, BASF SE, British Polyethylene Industries, Exxon Mobil Corporation, DowDupont, POLIFILM GROUP, ISTANBUL SERA PLASTIK, RKW Group, Novamont S.P.A., AGRIPOLYANE, RPC Group PLC, Kuraray Co ltd., and Trioplast Industrier AB.