Fruit Ripening Agents Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Ethylene, Ethrel, Propylene, Glycol, Calcium Carbide, Others), By Application (Climacteric Fruits, Non-climacteric Fruits) and Regional Forecast, 2024-2032

The increasing commercial applications of various fruit ripening agents are predicted to drive the global fruit ripening agents market. The various ripening agents such as ethylene, propylene, and others are used to start the ripening process in fruits throughout off-seasons. Moreover, through the innovation in technology and science, numerous methods have been developed to artificially stimulate the ripening process in fruits.

Artificial fruit ripening is the process by which ripening is controlled to attain desired characteristics intentionally for better consumer acceptance and increasing sales. The increasing practice of artificial fruit ripening worldwide is predicted to drive the global market of fruit ripening agents. The prominent players operating in the market are focused on the research and development of new materials and technologies which can be convenient in terms of application and price. 

The application of artificial ripening agents before the fruit harvesting can help to shorten the harvesting period which is expected to boost the demand for pre-harvesting fruit ripening agents. Moreover, due to the better transportation facilities available across the world, fruits are transported to long distances. This makes the need to pluck the fruits before they fully mature. Once fruits are harvested at under-matured or pre-mature state, they cannot ripe on their own. This makes the necessity of artificial ripening of fruits before selling. Consumers prefer a colored or ripened fruit which is predicted to boost the demand for fruit ripening agents. Besides, According to the Food and Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), artificially ripened fruits are considered as harmless for human consumption if the ripening process is completed using safe ripening agents and under safe environments. The artificial fruit ripening is a critical part of fruit industry as naturally ripe fruits are not suitable to transport and sale because of their fast rotting. Therefore, fruit dealers pick unripe fruits and utilize fruit ripening agents to fasten the ripening process of fruits. The increasing commercial applications of fruit ripening agents are predicted to drive the global market of fruit ripening agents. Artificial ripening is done to achieve faster and more uniform ripening. The application of fruit ripening agents can help to control the ripening process; as a result the final product can offer the desirable characteristics, which is projected to boost the demand for fruit ripening agents.

The region-specific strict rules and regulations regarding the usage of various fruit ripening agents are predicted to restrain the market growth. For instance, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has banned the use of calcium carbide or acetylene gas for artificial ripening of fruits.

Key Players Covered:

The prominent players operating in the global fruit ripening agents market are Bayer CropSciencs, Dow Chemicals, Syngenta AG, Nufarm, Tata Chemicals, Valent BioSciences, Arysta LifeScience, Catalytic Generators, and Others.

Ethylene is originally produced within the fruits. As ethylene is a natural hormone it does not cause any adverse health effects on buyers which is predicted to accelerate the use of ethylene as a fruit ripening agent. Ethylene works as a de-greening agent, which can change the peel color from green to yellow (in the case of mangoes, bananas, and others) and maintain the aroma and sweetness of the fruit. The application of ethylene gas can activate the natural ripening till the fruit itself starts producing ethylene in sufficient amount. These aforementioned factors are predicted to boost the usage of ethylene in the fruit ripening process. Moreover, ethereal is widely accepted fruit ripening agent as it can work as a safe alternative for fruit traders looking for cost effective options in post-harvest management of fruit.

The fruit ripening process is generally done for climacteric fruits such as banana, mango, and others to attain uniform and faster ripening characteristics. Furthermore, due to the highly perishable nature of these fruits they cannot be stored and shifted to long distances after ripening, because they tend to spoil. Thus, to avoid wastage of fruit during shipping, fruit dealers usually harvest raw fruits and ripen them by the help of fruit ripening agents at the destination market before sale which is predicted to boost the use of fruit ripening agents.

Regional Analysis:

North America is predicted to hold a significant share in the global market of fruit ripening agents. The tremendously increasing demand for fruits due to the awareness about the health benefits of fruit consumption is predicted to boost the use of fruit ripening agents to fulfill the increasing demand of fruits. The well-established food and agriculture sector and availability of advanced machineries and technologies within the region are predicted to boost the innovations in artificial fruit ripening agents market across the region.

Asia Pacific is predicted to witness considerable growth in the global fruit ripening agents market. The increasing areas under the cultivation of fruit, which are primarily exported to the various developed regions, are expected to boost the demand for post-harvest treatments such as fruit ripening agents to retain the best physical characteristics of the fruits.  Moreover, high profitability associated with fruit export from India is further projected to propel the demand for the product. For instance, in the year 2018-19, According to Agricultural & Processed Food Products Exports Development Authority of India (APEDA), India exported approximately 16 million tons of fresh fruits worldwide.

Segmentation

Key Industry Developments:

• In March 2019, Catalytic Generators introduced Easy-Ripe Generator that could be connected to the outside area of a ripening room. The Easy-Ripe XT creates ethylene in the outside area and utilizes a flue system to pass the generator’s ethylene output into the room.