Seed Treatment Machine Market (Coating and Drying) by Type (Drum Coaters, Rotary Drum Dryers, Fluidized Bed Dryers, Rotostat Coaters, Others), Crop Type (Cereals & Grains, Oilseeds, Pulses, Fruits & Vegetables, Other Crops) - Global Forecast to 2029
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Se...
The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected the global economy. The lockdowns and quarantine restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus negatively impacted the agriculture and crop protection industries. In the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic, disrupted logistics and transportation impacted the movement of agrochemicals. Hence, the seed treatment machinery (coating and drying) market registered a decline in sales in the first quarter of 2020.
In addition to the interruptions in the industry’s value chain from raw materials supply to manufacturing, packaging, and distribution, the COVID-19 pandemic also led to restrictions on the movement of workers, a decline in demand from farmers, and the closure of seed production and equipment manufacturing facilities. The industry suffered severe labor shortages due to repeated lockdowns, affecting machinery production. The decline in revenues during the initial months of 2020, coupled with reductions in demand from major markets, impacted the profitability of seed treatment machinery (coating and drying) manufacturers and vendors.
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The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the seed treatment machinery (coating and drying) market were first felt in China in the first quarter of 2020, as the country is one of the world’s largest raw material suppliers for the agricultural crop protection industry. Most European and North American agricultural chemicals and biologicals companies import key active ingredients used in seed treatment, mainly from China and other Asian countries. The low availability of raw materials led to a scarcity of products in high-growth markets, such as the U.S., Brazil, Spain, and Italy. After the initial period, the impact of the lockdowns on the movement of agrochemicals was minimized, leading to the increased adoption of seed coating and drying machinery. Furthermore, government bodies later removed restrictions on transportation, making it easier for seed treatment machinery providers to meet the demand from customers across most countries.
Disruptions in transportation & logistics and impacted production in some countries adversely affected the seed treatment machinery (coating and drying) market in terms of sales volumes during the initial phase of the pandemic in 2020. However, in 2021, strong growth was witnessed in the seed treatment machinery (coating and drying) industry across the globe due to the growing demand for processed seeds. Therefore, companies operating in this market focused on advancing seed coating and drying technologies.
In addition, commodity prices increased in 2022, encouraging growers to invest in products that help them improve crop yield and profitability. Therefore, although the industry suffered losses during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the seed treatment machinery (coating and drying) market registered strong growth in 2021, and the same trend is expected to continue in 2022.
Advancements in Seed Treatment (Coating and Drying) Equipment
Manufacturers of seed treatment (coating and drying) equipment are focused on automating their offerings to enable precision in product processing and improve seed coating and drying techniques. Seed treatment (coating and drying) providers have gradually moved away from traditional batch machines. In a batch machine, a specific quantity of seeds (e.g., cwt =100 pounds) is placed in a rotating drum with mixing baffles, where the seeds are sprayed with a measured quantity of treatment products. Screen liners of various sizes can accommodate different types and sizes of seeds. In recent years, the industry has largely moved on to continuous coating machines, such as rotostat coaters, which can process larger quantities of seeds, are fully automated, and require less manual labor. Moreover, seed treatment machinery manufacturers have also developed fully automated portable machines that combine all seed treatment processes (including cleaning, grading, coating, and drying). Additionally, automated equipment can reduce processing time, enhance the uniformity of seed coating, and increase production yield.
Seed treatment machinery has become more user-friendly, enabling operators to manually adjust the number of seeds and products sprayed, enabling sequential application of multiple products. The most recent advancement in seed treatment technology is the development of closed systems for small and large retail operations that make atomized spray applications. For instance, fluidized bed dryers are now replacing vibrating belt dryers, as vibrating belt dryers are open, with higher chances of contamination. Also, sophisticated electronic controls can apply multiple custom treatments to a batch of seeds, minimizing or eliminating water use, which reduces seed quality and germination. Automated systems limit applicator exposure, adjust rates to the specific seed sizes and permit the traceability of treated seeds. Therefore, such advancements in seed treatment (coating and drying) equipment are expected to drive the growth of the seed treatment machinery (coating and drying) market.
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