Agricultural Pheromones Market - Strategic Insights and Forecasts (2026-2031)

The Global Agricultural Pheromones market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 19.2%, reaching USD 6.5 billion in 2031 from USD 2.7 billion in 2026.

All insects use pheromones to communicate and alarm for impending danger. They find ways to disperse, aggregate, or attract a mating partner. Pheromones are now being utilized as a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional pest control methods in agriculture.

Organizations and governments worldwide are encouraging Sustainable practices to increase profitability, address environmental concerns, and enhance the quality of life of farmers. For example, NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture) promotes sustainable agriculture through grants programs, professional development programs, programs for leadership development, and funding for research. It works with the USDA Sustainable Development Council.

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, promotes organic agriculture in a phased manner with ICAR. The All India Network Project on Organic Farming has developed an organic package of practices for 68 cropping systems to provide technological backup to farmers.

Agricultural pheromones offer a highly targeted and species-specific approach to pest management. By mimicking the pheromones emitted by insects, farmers can disrupt pests' mating behavior, prevent reproduction, and reduce pest populations without harming beneficial organisms or the environment. This targeted approach minimizes broad-spectrum insecticides and reduces the risk of developing pesticide resistance in pests, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices.

Agricultural pheromones market segmentation by function into detection and monitoring, mating disruption, mass trapping, and others. Detection and Monitoring are used as trap bait for early detection of pests, pest monitoring for action decision support, mapping pest distribution, etc. Mating Disruption disrupts the reproduction of insect pests by saturating the environment with synthetic pheromones. Mass Trapping is used to capture large numbers of insect pests. Others include estimation of population dynamics, attracting beneficial insect species, etc.

Agricultural Pheromones Market Drivers:

• Government support for organic and sustainable farming-

Governments worldwide are pushing for more sustainable farming practices to reduce erosion, salinization, and other forms of degradation, minimizing the use of pesticides and herbicides, and improving habitats for wildlife.  Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research is a strategic alliance of members of international agricultural centers that will implement their research initiatives in a sustainable and climate-resilient world. They worked on the project for pheromone trapping to monitor and control the legume pod borer, Maruca vitrata, for small-scale farmers in West Africa.

Under PKVY, the government of India provides farmers of various states of the country with financial assistance of Rs 50,000/ha for 3 years. Rs 31,000/ ha / 3 years is provided directly to farmers through direct benefit transfer for organic inputs. Rs 20 lakh/ cluster of 1000 ha for 3 years is financially assisted with value addition and infrastructure creation.

Under the Atal New India Challenge (ANIC) Showcase, Barrix Agro Sciences Private Limited, headquartered in Bengaluru, is an agricultural startup. The company innovated an eco-friendly crop protection method based on pheromones, leveraging cutting-edge dispersion technologies.

Additionally, backed by a supply chain and committed staff, Barrix supports farmers and contributes positively to society and ecology. The Barrix Innovation Centre, endorsed by the DSIR (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research), Government of India, is dedicated to advancing pheromone-based product development.

• Advancement in technology and innovations-

Innovation and new product developments lead to more affordable, effective, and easier-to-apply products, enabling wider adoption. Thus, it makes a greater contribution to sustainable crop protection. Product launches, such as Xarvio® SCOUTING, developed by BASF Digital Farming GmbH in March 2022, are a new instant pheromone trap analysis capability to aid European growers of grapes, pome fruit, and stone fruit during this growing season.

This precision feature is now available in the Xarvio SCOUTING smartphone app, which can be downloaded and used for free. It employs advanced image recognition technology, machine learning, and algorithms to precisely detect and count codling moth, grape moth, and oriental fruit moth populations in pheromone traps used by growers. 

Similarly, in March 2022, Provivi and Syngenta Crop Protection jointly introduced Nelvium™, a pheromone-based solution for controlling harmful rice pests. This new mating disruption technology offers a safer and more effective approach to pest control in rice fields. The advantages of incorporating pheromones into integrated pest management programs include their precise targeting of specific pests and their mode of action, which prevents rather than eliminates pests. This approach supports biodiversity conservation and the thriving of non-target species.

Agricultural Pheromones Market Restraint:

• Limited accessibility and high cost to deter the market-

Although agricultural pheromones have promising potential, the market is encountering some challenges. These include the limited availability of specific pheromone formulations for certain pests on particular crops, higher upfront costs compared to conventional pesticides, and the need for precise timing and application techniques. However, with ongoing research and development efforts, increasing awareness among farmers, and support from regulatory bodies, the agricultural pheromones market is expected to overcome these hurdles and witness continued growth in the coming years.

Agricultural Pheromones Market Segment Analysis

• Agricultural pheromones market by type into sex pheromones, aggregation pheromones, repellent pheromones, and others.

The agricultural pheromones market is categorized into different types, including sex pheromones, aggregation pheromones, repellent pheromones, and other varieties. Sex pheromones are used to disrupt insect pests' mating, while aggregation pheromones attract pests to traps. Repellent pheromones deter insects from specific areas or plants. Other types of pheromones include alarm pheromones and marking territory.

APAC is anticipated to hold a significant share of the agricultural pheromones market

The Asia Pacific will lead the agricultural pheromones market, as the countries of Southeast Asia, India, and China are the leading agricultural producers as well as consumers of agricultural produce. In 2022, the US exported a record $40.9 billion to China (PRC), an increase of 14.5% from the previous year.

India, a leading exporter of agricultural products globally, recorded exports of US$ 19.74 billion in April-August 2023, compared to US$ 22.72 billion during the same period of the previous fiscal year. These markets and producers of agriculture will lead to the large-scale demand for sustainable agriculture practices for the people and the corresponding demand for agriculture pheromones.

Agricultural Pheromones Market Developments:

Agricultural Pheromones Market Players and Products:

• Delta white trap - It is designed for monitoring small to medium-sized Lepidoptera offered by Novagrica, featuring lateral openings to enhance trapping efficiency. It is constructed from durable plastic, ensuring longevity across multiple growing seasons with dimensions of 25x20x15 cm.

Market Segmentation:

• By Type

  • Sex Pheromones

  • Aggregation Pheromones

  • Repellent Pheromones

  • Others

• By Product Type

  • Pest Control

  • Others

• By Species

  • Moths

  • Beetles and Bugs

  • Armyworm

  • Butterflies

  • Others

• By Crop Type

  • Field crops

  • Orchard Crops

  • Fruits and Nuts

  • Vegetables

  • Others

• By Function

  • Detection and Monitoring

  • Mating Disruption

  • Mass Trapping

  • Others

• By Geography

  • North America

    • USA

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • South America

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

    • Others

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • France

    • UK

    • Spain

    • Others

  • Middle East and Africa

    • Saudi Arabia

    • UAE

    • Israel

    • Others

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • Japan

    • India

    • South Korea

    • Indonesia

    • Thailand

    • Others