Molecular Breeding Market Report 2026

The molecular breeding market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $4.85 billion in 2025 to $5.71 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.8%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to advancements in genetic marker technologies, early adoption of QTL mapping, rising demand for disease-resistant crops, increased funding for agricultural biotechnology, growth in livestock productivity enhancement programs.

The molecular breeding market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $10.91 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to expansion of genomic selection applications, rising need for climate-resilient crops, integration of AI-enabled breeding platforms, increasing global food security initiatives, growth in precision agriculture adoption. Major trends in the forecast period include rising adoption of precision trait identification, growing focus on high-yield and stress-resistant varieties, increasing use of molecular tools for livestock improvement, expansion of hybrid and cross-breeding programs, growing demand for faster and more accurate breeding cycles.

Rising public and private investment in agro-genomics research capacities serves as a propelling force behind the molecular breeding market's expansion. This investment, both government-backed and commercial, aims to elevate agricultural genetics and technology, facilitating improved crop yield and sustainability. Notably, April 2023 data from Genomic Canada highlighted the Canadian government's allocation of $18.1 million through Genome Canada for advanced research initiatives spanning health, environment, and agriculture, utilizing genomics. This significant investment underscores the substantial role of augmented public and private expenditure in fostering innovation and driving growth within the molecular breeding domain.

Leading companies in the molecular breeding market are concentrating on creating advanced solutions, such as integrated systems, to boost crop yields, enhance disease resistance, and expedite the breeding process using state-of-the-art genetic technologies. An integrated system is a comprehensive framework that merges various components or processes into a single, cohesive operation, facilitating seamless interaction and improved efficiency across all functions. For example, in June 2024, MGI Tech, a biotechnology firm based in China, introduced a complete workflow solution for large-scale low-pass whole genome sequencing (WGS). This innovation aims to enhance molecular breeding and genotyping processes for agricultural diploid species, featuring an automated full-process product portfolio, high throughput capabilities, and cutting-edge sequencing instruments.

In September 2023, DLF, a Denmark-based real estate development company, acquired Corteva Agriscience’s alfalfa breeding program for an undisclosed amount. Through this acquisition, DLF aims to significantly strengthen its global position in alfalfa breeding and sales by gaining access to elite alfalfa genetics, a strong brand portfolio, and expanded market reach. Corteva Agriscience is a U.S.-based pure-play agriculture company that provides and utilizes molecular breeding.

Major companies operating in the molecular breeding market are Illumina Inc., LGC Group Limited, Eurofins Scientific SE, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., SGS Société Générale de Surveillance S.A., Intertek Group plc, DanBred P/S, LemnaTec GmbH, Fruitbreedomics B.V., Keygene N.V., KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA, Genus plc, Groupe Limagrain, Syngenta Group, Bayer Aktiengesellschaft, Corteva Agriscience, BASF SE, Dow AgroSciences LLC, Monsanto Company, Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., Agilent Technologies Inc., QIAGEN N.V., Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., Merck KGaA Darmstadt, GenScript Biotech Corporation, Genewiz Inc., Eurogentec S.A., Integrated DNA Technologies Inc., Novogene Corporation Limited, BGI Group.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

Tariffs on laboratory equipment, genetic testing tools, and imported reagents are increasing operational costs for molecular breeding programs, particularly in regions dependent on foreign biotechnology supplies. These tariffs most significantly affect crop breeding and livestock breeding segments across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Latin America. However, they may also stimulate domestic production of genetic tools, encourage local research investments, and strengthen regional biotech capabilities, creating long-term opportunities despite short-term challenges.

The molecular breeding market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides molecular breeding market statistics, including molecular breeding industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a molecular breeding market share, detailed molecular breeding market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the molecular breeding industry. This molecular breeding market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

Molecular breeding is a technique employed to pinpoint and select specific genetic traits within organisms by identifying particular genes or markers linked to those desired traits. This method facilitates the tracking of these traits across successive breeding generations.

Key processes involved in molecular breeding encompass QTL (Quantitative Trait Locus) mapping, marker-assisted selection, marker-assisted backcrossing, genomic selection, and other related methodologies. QTL mapping, known as Quantitative Trait Locus mapping, is a statistical genetic research method used to pinpoint regions within the genome associated with specific quantitative traits, such as height, weight, or disease susceptibility. Molecular breeding relies on segregation by methods such as single sequence repeats (SSR), single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and other similar techniques, applied extensively in both crop and livestock breeding endeavors.North America was the largest region in the molecular breeding market in 2025.Asia-pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the global molecular breeding market report during the forecast period. The regions covered in the molecular breeding market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the molecular breeding market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The molecular breeding market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing genotyping, marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, and bioinformatics services. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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