The largest market for pesticides in Europe, France is valued at over EUR 200 million in 2013. In comparison to 2012, the French seed treatment market in 2013 is steady, driven by few developments and innovations. The overall supply is adequate to the demand. In 2013, the largest seed supplier in France is Limagrain. The trend of farmers using certified seeds increases over 50% and over 40% for the save/bin run. While the popular trend toward growing hybrid seeds is taking deeper roots in 2013, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are banned from use in the country. Moreover, the French Ministry is aiming for significant reductions in the use of chemical pesticides in the country with the Phytoplan 2018, outlining vast opportunities for the biopesticides, and non chemical treatments.
Wheat has the largest number of hectares treated, accounting for over 50% of the total seed treatment value in France. Fungicides account for the largest coverage of seed treatment hectares, with over 7 million hectares treated.
| Hectares Treated with Seed Treatment Fungicides By Brand* in France, 2013 | ||||||
| Brand name | Wheat | Sunflower | Sugar beet | Potatoes | Corn | Canola |
| Alios | – | – | – | – | X | – |
| All other | X | – | – | X | X | – |
| Apron XL alone | – | X | – | – | – | – |
| Apron/Influx Tournesol combination | – | X | – | – | – | – |
| Barky | – | – | – | X | – | – |
| Celest Net/Celest Gold | X | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gustafson 42-S | – | – | – | – | X | – |
| Influx XL | – | – | – | – | X | – |
| Iota P, L | – | – | – | X | – | – |
| Monceren P, L | – | – | – | X | – | – |
| Oscar, WP | – | – | – | X | – | – |
| Prelude 20FS | X | – | – | – | – | – |
| Premis 25FS | X | – | – | – | – | – |
| Redigo | X | – | – | – | – | – |
| Tachigaren/Rovral Aqua Flo | – | – | X | – | – | – |
| Vitavax, 200 FF | X | – | – | – | X | – |
| *Brands are in alphabetical order X= Used to treat crop | ||||||
Insecticide treatments are quite consistent with no major new comers in 2013. Nevertheless, due to the controversial arguments and the December 2013 ban in France on the use of Cruiser 350, the position and volumes of the product will change. In 2014, a diminution in terms of both hectarage treated with the product, as well as the total sales value for Syngenta is expected.
| Hectares Treated with Seed Treatment Insecticides by Brand* in France, 2013 | |||||||
| Brand name | Wheat | Sunflower | Sugar beet | Potatoes | Corn | Canola | |
| Attack | X | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Cruiser OSR, 350, SB | – | – | X | – | X | X | |
| Gaucho 350 | X | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Imprimo | – | – | X | – | – | – | |
| Mesurol | – | – | – | – | – | X | |
| Signal | X | – | – | – | – | – | |
| *Ordered alphabetically X= Used to treat crop | |||||||
Kline’s chapter on France of the global seed treatment market research is a detailed analysis of the French seed treatment market in 2013 covering the following topics:
- Crop background and planted acres
- Crop end use by acres or volume
- Production and crop protection methods
- Key seed suppliers and their product capability with treatment
- Role of seed treatment as crop protection method
- Key diseases, insects, nematodes, and other reasons seeds are treated; regional differences within countries when appropriate
- Chemical treatment methods for target diseases and insects and non-chemical alternatives
- Product sales and market share for seed treatment products
- Active ingredient use for seed treatment products
- Sales by company for seed treatment products
- Seed treatment outlook and assumptions by crop background
