Melon Seed Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Nature (Organic, Conventional), By Source (Watermelon, Muskmelon, Honey Dew Melon), By End-use (Food Processing, Cosmetics & Personal Care, Pharmaceuticals, Others) Others and Regional Forecast, 2024-2032

In recent years, emphasis on the consumption of seeds sourced from a variety of sources, such as cucumber, almond, pumpkin, and others, has increased due to their high nutritional value. Melon seeds are one such nutritious seed varieties that are rich in beneficial oil and protein content and are cost-friendly, hence easily affordable. There are several ongoing research on the use of melon seeds (especially bitter melon seed) for the production of pharmaceutical products that can be taken into account to treat diseases related to kidney, diabetes, immune system, and others.

One of the significant reasons for the growth of the global melon seed market is increasing consumer interest in health-promoting and nutritional products. Additionally, the growing interest of cosmetic manufacturers in melon seeds due to their efficiency to promote skin cell growth and maintain moisture and suppleness in the skin is further boosting the market demand for melon seeds.

Acquisition of small regional or country-level players, collaboration with relevant market players, product launches, base expansion, and increased investment in research & development of melon seed sources are some of the prominent growth strategies in the global melon seed market. For instance; In April 2017, VoloAgri, a significant seed industry market player, announced the acquisition of Zayintec, a plant-breeding company based in Spain. The addition of Zayintec in VoloAgri helped the company (VoloAgri) in expanding its open field seed product portfolio with the addition of seed species including eggplant, watermelon and other melon varieties.

The increasing realization of the importance of good health is motivating people to include superfoods and other consumables in their lifestyle to support digestive, immune, cardiac, and mental health. The demand for melon seeds is increasing at a significant rate across western economies as people in western countries are increasingly switching towards a healthy lifestyle and hence adopting products that can complement their overall health. The use of melon seeds in cosmetics, especially skincare product manufacturing is further boosting their demand in the global market. Furthermore, the potential of melon seeds to lower down blood sugar levels is expected to encourage drug researchers to utilize them for the production of drugs associated with diabetes treatment. However, the presence of substitutes such as flaxseeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, and others are expected to restrict the market growth of melon seed during the foreseeable years.

Key Players Covered:

The conventional melon seed segment is expected to hold the largest share in terms of value throughout the forecast years from 2019 to 2026. This is owing to high cost-efficiency in the production of watermelons, musk melons, and other melon varieties by using conventional chemical fertilizers. However, in the upcoming years, the market for organic melon seed is predicted to grow at a significant pace attributed to the increasing inclination of consumers towards natural and organic products due to higher health benefits associated with them.

Based on the source, watermelons are expected to be the largest source for melon seed extraction due to their low calorific value and presence of several micronutrients and vitamins within them. The aforementioned properties of watermelon seeds make them desirable for different applications across multiple industries. High production of different watermelon species such as egusi watermelon, bitter watermelon, and others across the various production centers in the world are expected to contribute to the growth of the segment.

Regional Analysis:   

Asia Pacific is projected to dominate the global melon seed market owing to the incredibly growing production of prominent melon seed sources, especially watermelons in China. According to the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO), the production of watermelons in China reached to 79.48 million tons in 2017, from 75.05 million tons in 2014. Besides the growing production of melons in APAC, increasing health consciousness among Asian consumers and their increasing per capita income is further contributing to strengthening the melon seed market in the region. The market share of North America in the global melon seed market is expected to increase in the forthcoming years on account of the growing demand for health-benefiting, protein, and fiber-rich products, such as melon seeds.

Segmentation

Key Industry Developments

• In October 2017, BASF announced about its decision to acquire Bayer’s seed business which also include extensive melon seed product portfolio. The deal was worth USD 5.9 billion.