From the perspective of the industrial chain, the raw materials in the upstream of the agricultural and forestry water-retaining agent industry mainly include starch, cellulose, acrylamide, acrylate, etc. The quality of these raw materials directly affects the performance and application effect of the water-retaining agent. The middle part refers to the production and manufacturing of agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents, and the enterprises in this link are responsible for converting the raw materials into the final products. The downstream refers to the application fields of agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents. Due to its unique water absorption, water storage and water retention properties, agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents play a decisive role in improving the ecological environment and wind and sand control projects. It is widely used in land desertification control, agricultural and forestry crop planting, and landscaping and other fields.

In recent years, large-scale national afforestation campaigns have been continuously carried out across the country, jointly promoting high-quality development and high-level protection, and fully promoting the achievement of new results in national afforestation work, injecting strong green momentum into the construction of a beautiful China. In 2024, a total of 4.446 million hectares of afforestation were completed, 3.224 million hectares of grass were planted for improvement, and 2.783 million hectares of sandy and desertified land were treated. With the continuous expansion of the area of national afforestation, the demand for agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents has also been constantly increasing.

With the continuous improvement of urbanization levels in China and the growing concern of people about environmental issues, landscaping has become an important part of urban construction. In recent years, driven by national policies, the market size of urban landscaping has shown an upward trend. The industry market size has increased from 197.991 billion yuan in 2016 to 307.313 billion yuan in 2024. With the continuous development of urban landscaping, the demand for agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents has also expanded. Agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents have been widely used in the greening field due to their excellent water retention and soil improvement properties. They not only help achieve greening goals under difficult site conditions, but also save resources and reduce manpower investment, becoming an important part of building a conservation-oriented garden, and thus have broad application prospects.

The current situation of the agricultural and forestry water-retaining agent industry

Agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents, as an efficient water-saving material, are widely used in agriculture, forestry, horticulture and other fields. They play a significant role in improving water utilization efficiency, promoting crop growth and enhancing soil structure. With the increasing emphasis on sustainable agriculture and the continuous strengthening of environmental protection policies by the government, the market demand for agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents has continued to grow, leading to a steady increase in production. According to data, in 2021, the production of agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents in China reached 203.38 million tons, and by 2024, the industry production increased to 344.53 million tons. In the future, with the continuous development of technology, the production technology of agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents will be continuously innovated and improved, and the quality and performance will also be continuously enhanced. At the same time, the continuous emergence of new water-retaining agent products also meets the diversified needs of the market, promoting further growth in industry production.

With global climate change and the increasingly scarce water resources, water-saving agriculture has become a development trend, and the market demand for agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents is also constantly increasing. As a major agricultural country, the market size of agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents in China is naturally expanding gradually. Especially in arid and semi-arid regions, the demand for agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents is more urgent, and the market potential is huge. According to data, in 2024, the market size of the agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents industry in China reached 25.521 billion yuan, increasing by 16.7% compared to the previous year. It is expected that in the future, the agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents industry in China will continue to grow under the multiple driving forces of policy support, market demand and technological progress.

The development trend of the agricultural and forestry water-retaining agent industry

Continuous breakthroughs in technological innovation

The agricultural and forestry water-retaining agent industry is undergoing continuous innovation and upgrading in technology. With the continuous advancement of technology, new types of agricultural and forestry water-retaining agent products are constantly emerging. These products have higher water absorption, water retention, and controllable release properties. At the same time, some agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents with environmental-friendly and biodegradable characteristics have gradually become the new favorites in the market. These technological innovations not only enhance the performance of agricultural and forestry water-retaining agents but also expand their application scope, injecting new impetus into the continuous development of the industry.

The competition in the market is becoming increasingly fierce

With the rapid development of the agricultural and forestry water-retaining agent industry, more and more enterprises have entered this market, and the competition has become increasingly fierce. In order to stand out in the competition, enterprises need to continuously improve product quality, strengthen technological research and development, and optimize marketing strategies, etc. This competitive situation will help promote the overall progress and development of the industry.

International cooperation and market expansion

With the deepening of globalization, international cooperation will become an important trend in the development of the agricultural and forestry water-retaining agent industry. Domestic and foreign enterprises will enhance technical exchanges and cooperation to jointly promote the innovation and development of agricultural and forestry water-retaining agent technology. At the same time, the expansion of the international market will also bring more development opportunities to the agricultural and forestry water-retaining agent industry. With the intensification of global climate change, many countries are facing problems of water shortage and unstable agricultural production, and the demand for water-retaining agents is increasing day by day, which will open up a broader market space for the industry.