Middle East & Africa Forage Seeds Market Forecast to 2030 - Regional Analysis - by Type, Category, and Livestock

The Middle East & Africa forage seeds market was valued at US$ 238.56 million in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ 343.74 million by 2030; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2022 to 2030.

Rising Preference for Organic Feed Fuel the Middle East & Africa Forage Seeds Market

People are becoming more conscious about their health; thus, they prefer consuming organic food as it does not contain pesticides. Organic milk and meat are richer in nutrients such as enzymes, bioflavonoids, and antioxidants. Hence, people prefer organic food and organic meat over inorganic. This has led to the demand for organic feed to supply organic meat to consumers. Dairy farms, the poultry sector, and animal husbandry have focused on purchasing high-quality organic forage feed due to the growing demand for organic meat and dairy products. Conventional feed often contains high amounts of chemicals that hamper meat quality when consumed by animals. Long-term consumption of such meat results in various health disorders. To overcome this issue, manufacturers are developing organic feed that contains no chemical additives. Animals feeding on such feed offer meat that has high nutritional value. Thus, consumers often find organic and natural products as healthier alternatives to conventional products. Consumers are mainly inclined toward organic products, which has encouraged manufacturers to invest heavily in products produced with organic constituents. Furthermore, the more accessible access to infinite information with the help of the internet has made consumers increasingly aware of their health needs, leading to the increasing demand for organic feed. Thus, a rising preference for organic feed is expected to become a significant trend in the Middle East & Africa forage seeds market during the forecast period.

Middle East & Africa Forage Seeds Market Overview

The forage seeds market in the Middle East & Africa is segmented into South Africa, the UAE, and the Rest of Middle East & Africa. The growing demand for quality meat products in the Middle East is increasing the adoption of animal feed among livestock farms. As per the report of Alltech Global, South Africa, Oman, Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, and Algeria are producing 65% of animal feed products in the Middle East & Africa. Furthermore, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia are leading livestock farming nations in the region. Thus, increased livestock farming surged the demand for animal feed, such as forages, boosting the forage seeds market. Forage crop cultivation requires vital water resources and irrigated land. The government banned forage cultivation in November 2018 due to limited water resources in Saudi Arabia. However, the demand for forage is high due to high livestock production. To cater to the increasing demand, manufacturers have developed some technologies to import forage from other countries. For instance, the National Agricultural Development Company (NADEC), one of the Middle Easts largest dairy producers, is using cloud-based technology to help it overcome the operational hurdles created by the ban. NADEC has started growing alfalfa and other crops for cattle feed in Sudan, Jordan, Lebanon, and other countries. The crops are harvested and then transported back to the company's homeland dairy farm in Saudi Arabia. Cloud-based technology makes tracking shipments, analyzing delivery performance, and reconciling real-time payments easy. Such technological advancement by key regional players is expected to boost the forage seeds market in the future.

Middle East & Africa Forage Seeds Market Segmentation

The Middle East & Africa forage seeds market is segmented based on type, category, livestock, and country. Based on type, the Middle East & Africa forage seeds market is segmented into alfalfa, clover, ryegrass, timothy, sorghum, brome, birdsfoot trefoil, cowpea, meadow fescue, and others. The alfalfa segment held the largest market share in 2022. The clover segment is further subsegmented into white, red, hybrid, and others. Additionally, the ryegrass segment is categorized into annual ryegrass, perennial ryegrass, Italian ryegrass, and hybrid ryegrass.

Based on category, the Middle East & Africa forage seeds market is bifurcated into organic and conventional. The conventional segment held a larger market share in 2022.

Based on livestock, the Middle East & Africa forage seeds market is segmented into ruminants, poultry, swine, and others. The ruminants segment held the largest market share in 2022.

Based on country, the Middle East & Africa forage seeds market is segmented into South Africa, the UAE, and the Rest of Middle East & Africa. The Rest of Middle East & Africa dominated the Middle East & Africa forage seeds market share in 2022.

UPL Ltd, Corteva Inc, S&W Seed Co, MAS Seeds SA, and Syngenta AG are some of the leading companies operating in the Middle East & Africa forage seeds market.