Sugarcane pesticide market reached BRL7.5 billion in Brazil in 2024

The pesticide market for sugarcane cultivation reached BRL7.5 billion in 2024, according to the FarmTrak Sugarcane Defensives study conducted by market research firm Kynetec. 

This result represents an 18% decline compared to the previous cycle due to an average 22% decrease in product prices.

Despite the drop in commercial value for this segment, the Potential Treated Area (PTA) for sugarcane pesticides increased by 4% last year, totaling 83.7 million hectares treated with defensives. The PTA methodology considers the planted area, adoption, and number of treatments.

Among pesticide segments, herbicides were the leading category, accounting for 52% of the total market, with BRL3.9 billion. Insecticides followed in second place in market share, representing 34% of the value, amounting to BRL2.6 billion in 2024. Fungicides, nematicides, growth regulators, and other crop protection products made up the remaining 14% of the market, according to Kynetec.

The main pests identified in the FarmTrak study were root froghopper (Mahanarva fimbriolata), the primary market, which generated BRL916 million. Next was the sugarcane weevil (Sphenophorus levis), which continued to rise, requiring investments of BRL802 million. In third place was the sugarcane borer (Diatraea saccharalis), generating BRL610 million.

Biological inputs accounted for 7% of the market, equivalent to BRL553 million, with bioinsecticides and bionematicides together representing about 75% of this segment. "This study provides valuable insights into the sector and highlights the importance of innovation and adaptation in the management of defensives in sugarcane cultivation,"  Kynetec noted.

The total planted area reached 8.9 million hectares in the regions covered by the study in 2024, showing a 3% growth. The Brazilian state of São Paulo concentrated 56% of the area, followed by the states of Goiás (12%) and Minas Gerais + Espírito Santo (11%).

Decision-Maker Profile: Mills manage 75% of the areas, while suppliers manage 25%. More than 60% of the technical managers responsible for defensive management decisions are from the "millennial" generation (between 29 and 44 years old).

Kynetec completed the data compilation for the FarmTrak Sugarcane Defensives study in February 2025. The survey involved 16 professionals traveling 51,000 km and visiting 10 Brazilian states across 231 municipalities. It covered 480 production units, including mills and suppliers, representing 53% of the sugarcane area in the analyzed states.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)