Africa Sorghum Seed - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts 2016 - 2030

The Africa Sorghum Seed Market size is estimated at USD 130.67 million in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 187.36 million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 6.19% during the forecast period (2024-2030).

Key Highlights

• Hybrids is the Largest Breeding Technology: High share of hybrids is associated with the increasing area under hybrids, the comparatively higher price of hybrid seeds, high yielding, and disease resistance.
• Ethiopia is the Largest Country: Ethiopia is the largest seed market for sorghum because of the higher area under sorghum cultivation, increasing area under commercial seeds, the high seed replacement rate.
• Hybrids is the Fastest-growing Breeding Technology: It is the fastest growing segment due to the development of hybrids that are suitable for grain purposes and malt purposes. Also, major companies focus on hybrid development.
• Ethiopia is the Fastest-growing Country: It is the fastest-growing market due to favorable government policies. The government has set a ten-year economic development plan where the major focus is on the agriculture.

Africa Sorghum Seed Market Trends

Hybrids is the largest Breeding Technology

• In Africa, hybrid varieties dominate the sorghum market, with a share of 62.5% of the total African sorghum seed market in 2021, whereas open-pollinated seeds held a share of 37.5%.
• The hybrid market is being driven by increased investment by private industries in developing new varieties to boost yield and production in the region, commercialization of hybrid seeds, and favorable government policies.
• The share value of non-transgenic hybrids sorghum in Africa increased by 14.1% from 2016 to 2021. The market for non-transgenic hybrids is expected to grow due to increased demand for sorghum from the feed and processing industries, as well as consumer preference because the grain is non-GMO, gluten-free, and high in antioxidants.
• The acreage of open-pollinated varieties and hybrid derivatives of sorghum was 29 million hectares in 2016. The proportion decreased to 27 million hectares in 2021, primarily due to the rise in the use of hybrid crops, which are more productive than open-pollinated varieties.
• In terms of value, Kenya had the largest OPV seed market in 2022, with a 28.1% market share of the African open-pollinated sorghum seed market. Small-scale farmers, who account for more than 90% of sorghum production, prefer using farm-saved seeds instead of open-pollinated varieties.
• The non-availability of transgenic crops and traits in sorghum resulted in a decrease of 2% from the past year's production in the region. Thus, the potential for hybrid seeds is higher than open-pollinated varieties in the African sorghum seed market.

Ethiopia is the largest Country

• In 2021, Africa accounted for an 11.8% share value of the global sorghum seed market. This share is estimated to grow by 31.3% in 2028, with a yearly growth rate of 3.7%. Sorghum is processed into a wide range of pleasant and healthy traditional dishes in Africa, such as semi-leavened bread, couscous, dumplings, and fermented and non-fermented porridges.
• In 2021, Ethiopia is the largest producer of sorghum in Africa, accounting for a 22.8% share in terms of the value of the African sorghum seed market. Hybrid holds a major share compared to open-pollinated varieties, accounting for 95.2% share value of the Ethiopian sorghum seed market.
• In 2021, South Africa is the second-largest sorghum-producing country accounting for a 21.9% share of the African sorghum market. The sorghum seed market in South Africa is estimated to grow by 18.2% during the forecast period. Sorghum prices are higher in South Africa than in any other country in the region. Thus, the volume is comparatively low.
• In 2021, Kenya accounts for a share of 16.4% in terms of the value of the African sorghum seed market. The area under cultivation of sorghum was 0.1 million ha in 2016, which increased to 0.2 million ha in 2021. In Kenya, the quantity of sorghum utilized for industrial purposes increased by 25%.
• In 2021, Egypt accounts for a share of 3.5% in terms of the value of the African sorghum seed market. The cultivated grain sorghum area in 2021 was 0.14 million hectares, which produced about 0.7 million metric ton of seeds.
• In 2021, the rest of Africa, sorghum is the major grain crop grown, with a share of 31.1% in the African sorghum seed market. The usage of open-pollinated varieties (59.3%) is higher than hybrid varieties (40.7%) in sorghum.

Africa Sorghum Seed Industry Overview

The Africa Sorghum Seed Market is fragmented, with the top five companies occupying 18.85%. The major players in this market are Capstone Seeds, FICA SEEDS, Seed Co Limited, Victoria Seeds Limited and Zambia Seed Company Limited (Zamseed) (sorted alphabetically).

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• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
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