Abstract
US demand to reach $1.7 billion in 2013
Demand for lawn, garden and agricultural packaging in the US is forecast to
grow 1.8 percent per year through 2013 to $1.7 billion, decelerating from the
sharp increases of the 2003-2008 period as raw material prices moderate. Gains
will be bolstered by continuing need for packaging that can provide a means of
differentiating products that are primarily commodity in nature. Moreover,
demand will be aided by consumer preference for convenient, user-friendly
packaging, a factor that will stimulate sales of reclosable pouches,
dispensing closures and other value-added products. Demand will also benefit
from an acceleration in consumer lawn and garden spending and a rebound in
residential construction after the declines of the 2003-2008 period.
Stand-up pouches to be fastest growing product
Pouches, especially stand-up types, will post the fastest gains among all
lawn, garden and agricultural packaging due to their superior visual appeal,
reclosability and barrier properties. Demand for pouches will come largely at
the expense of smaller paper and plastic bags. Bags and sacks will continue to
be the leading product type through 2013, with demand advancing 1.5 percent
per annum. Gains will be driven by healthy advances for plastic types due to
cost advantages relative to paper. Bags and sacks are widely used for lawn,
garden and agricultural consumables because of their relatively low cost,
lower material consumption than rigid containers, and adequate durability and
protection. Plastic container demand is projected to increase 1.9 percent
annually through 2013, bolstered by performance advantages such as design
flexibility, light weight, water and chemical resistance, and suitability for
a variety of closures. Their chemical resistance makes them especially
amenable to packaging liquid chemicals such as pesticides, although these
containers are used in limited amounts for other items such as seeds and
fertilizers.
IBCs to pace bulk segment
Demand for bulk packaging will increase less than one percent per year through
2013 to more than $240 million due to falling shipment volumes of fertilizers
and meager advances in pesticide volumes. However, intermediate bulk
containers (IBCs) will offer the best prospects of all bulk packaging types as
a result of long-term cost, reusability and performance advantages. IBCs also
have larger capacities than drums, bags, sacks and bottles, allowing them to
make further inroads in the agricultural and professional markets, where bulk
quantities of consumables are most used.
Consumer market to offer best growth opportunities
The agricultural market will remain the largest market for lawn, garden and
agricultural packaging, accounting for nearly 50 percent of demand in 2013.
Below-average gains in the agricultural market will stem from market maturity
and a constant size of cropland planted. The consumer market will offer the
best opportunities due to an emphasis on aesthetically appealing,
convenienceoriented packaging. This emphasis has led to the use of such
features as highquality graphics, plastic film laminations and easy-to-use
dispensing closures. In the professional market, packaging demand will benefit
from an increase in the number of landscaping and lawn care firms as a result
of a recovery in the residential housing market.
Study coverage
The new Freedonia industry study, Lawn, Garden & Agricultural Packaging,
presents historical demand data (1998, 2003 and 2008) plus forecasts for 2013
and 2018 by market, application and product. The study also assesses key
market environment factors, evaluates company market share and profiles 38
competitors in the US industry.
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