Loading...
The Asia Pacific Indoor Farming market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 12.8%, reaching USD 34.7 billion in 2031 from USD 19.0 billion in 2026.
The growing consumer demand for chemical-free and organically rich food, coupled with the growing adoption of hydroponics and aeroponics techniques in crop cultivation, is expected to fuel the indoor farming market growth in the Asia Pacific. The usage of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and data analytics for improving crop productivity and the favorable efforts to tackle soil erosion are further expected to boost the overall scope of indoor farming in the APAC region in the future.
Expansion in the R&D Programs
Several businesses in China & Indonesia are focusing on expanding their research & development programs for better integration of technology with food systems. This will expand the market for sustainable agricultural food production & thereby promote indoor farming techniques in the Asia Pacific. Moreover, the government initiative promoting indoor farming techniques amid growing food security concerns is expected to propel the market in the long term. For instance 2022, the Indian government provided a subsidy for aeroponic farming techniques, which in turn will expand the adoption of indoor farming in India.
Increasing Food Security Issues & Scarcity of Resources
The rising population in major Asian countries such as India, and China has augmented the need for improved food production techniques. The rising demand for higher agricultural yields for fruits & vegetables, herbs & flowers in the present situation of limited land resources & water will provide an impetus for indoor farming culture in upcoming years.
Additionally, indoor farming techniques are gaining more popularity due to their ability to ensure community sustainability & resource efficiency. It also supports biodiversity as well with minimal disturbance to wildlife & trees in inland areas. Farmers are also not exposed to heavy agricultural machines that cause huge pollution & also minimize contact with hazardous substances with indoor farming practices. Key developments in the market are expected to boost market growth.
According to the estimates from the World Bank, the population in Asia Pacific will grow by about 700 million by the year 2050, thereby reaching a figure of 5.3 billion from 4.7 billion in 2021. The Asia Pacific economies are expected to lose millions of hectares of agricultural land to meet urbanization & rising population needs. For instance, a recent study at Duke University highlights that regions like Asia & Africa are expected to lose around 24 million hectares due to urbanization in the coming years. Therefore, less land availability will increase the preference towards the adoption of indoor farming technology for a better crop yield, thereby augmenting the overall market growth in the coming years.
India in the Asia Pacific is an Expected Dominant Market
. Indoor farming involves crop production in a controlled environment with less pesticide usage. Such technology’s cost-effective nature and its ability to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and conventional farming equipment have provided a positive scope to its market demand in India. Also, the booming horticulture and floriculture in the country are further adding to the market growth. For instance, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, in 2021, India’s horticulture production stood at 347.18 million tons, which signified an increase of 3.8% over 2020’s 334.60 million tons. Moreover, as per the same source, 833 thousand tons of cut flowers and 2,295 thousand tons of loose flowers were produced in India in 2021.
Moreover, favorable initiatives and project establishments for vertical farming are also acting as an additional driving factor for market growth. For instance, in December 2021, AS AGRI AND AQUA LLP inaugurated its state-of-the-art vertical farming project in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The project is expected to be Asia’s largest vertical farming project, which aims to enable farmers in the Vidarbha region to tackle major agricultural issues relating to climatic and drought conditions, as well as poor irrigation facilities. Technological adoptions to propel urban farming, coupled with the growing shift towards organic crop production and less chemical usage, are paving the way for the further market growth of indoor farming in India.
In December 2022, Vertical Future formed a collaboration with Vertical Farm Systems to initiate work on advanced vertical farming projects in Singapore.
In May 2022, Woolworths formed a partnership with startup InvertiGro to launch its first in-store vertical indoor farm in Australia.