Cleveland-The current $7.2 billion lawn and garden market should increase around 5 percent per year to reach $9.1 billion by 2010, according to a new study by The Freedonia Group. Best opportunities are anticipated for new products that offer convenience and good performance while also meeting health and safety standards. Growth will be led by fertilizers, growing media, and mulch, all of which will continue to post annual gains of over six percent. Sales of organics will grow nearly twice as fast as conventional products, but will remain a small percentage of the entire market. Sales will be sluggish for pesticides, which make up almost 30 percent of the market. Increasing concern over the environmental and health effects of agrichemicals will dampen pesticides’ prospects. Attempts to control lawn maintenance costs, especially within the professional market, will further depress gains. The residential market will account for over three-quarters of total demand in 2010 and post above-average growth, driven by solid gains in both the “do-it-yourself” and “do-it-for-me” segments. Home gardening activity, including lawn care, has been steadily increasing over the past decade as the baby boom generation has entered the 55-64 year-old age segment – the demographic that is most likely to be or become gardeners.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain