In this piece, we will take a look at the 15 largest pesticide companies in USA. For more companies, head on over to 5 Largest Pesticide Companies in USA.
The agriculture industry is one of the largest industries in the world, and one that is also credited with the rise of modern day civilization. Humans were originally hunter gatherers and were limited to foraging or hunting for food, which left them at risk of harsh climates and wild animals. However, the cultivation of food led to human being settling down in societies, which then allowed them to create civilizations.
In fact, the global agriculture industry was several times more valuable than the crude oil industry in 2022 according to research firm The Business Research Company. The firm believes that the segment was worth a whopping $12 trillion last year and that it will grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.4% this year to be worth $13 trillion. What’s more is that The Business Research Company also believes that from 2023 until 2027, the segment will continue to grow at a similar 9.1% CAGR and sit at a stunning $19 trillion by the end of the forecast period. Some of the largest companies within the agriculture space are Cargill Incorporated and Dairy Farmers of America. For a detailed look at the agriculture industry, be sure to check out Agriculture Stocks List: 25 Biggest Companies.
One important subsegment of the agriculture segment is the agrochemical segment. This segment consists of firms that make fertilizers and pesticides – two of the most important inputs that have enabled humans to vastly increase their agricultural output. Pesticides are products that ensure that crops and plants remain healthy during their lifetime, and are divided into several categories that target both diseases and insects. Some categories of pesticides are fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, bactericides, and larvicides – with all these collectively also referred to as crop protection chemicals.
According to the research firm Fortune Business Insights, the global crop protection chemicals market was worth $57 billion in 2020. From then until 2028, it will grow at a CAGR of 4.6% to sit at an estimated $81.74 billion by the end of 2028. The U.S., Brazil, and China are among the major consumers of crop production chemicals, and the research firm outlines that herbicides is the largest segment of the market. These are chemicals that prevent weeds from growing at the plantation site, and according to Fortune Business Insights, they are particularly popular in developing countries such as China and India as they replace the time and cost intensive process of manually removing the weeds from the field. For the industry as a whole, Asia Pacific is the dominant player, as an expansion of cultivated areas and a growing awareness of the use of pesticides is increasing the demand for the products.
Today’s piece will zero in on the agrochemical segment and sift out the biggest pesticide companies in the U.S. Out of these, the top players are Bayer Aktiengesellschaft (OTCMKTS:BAYRY), BASF SE (ETR:BAS.DE), and Corteva, Inc. (NYSE:CTVA).
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Our Methodology
We started out our hunt for the largest pesticide firms operating in America by first sifting through publicly traded chemical companies to identify which of them also manufacture pesticides. Then, some large private companies were also added into the mix. The publicly traded firms are ranked through their market capitalization.
15 Largest Pesticide Companies in USA
15. PBI-Gordon Corporation
PBI-Gordon Corporation is a private American company that was set up in 1947. The firm touts itself as an employee owned business, and it has five businesses under its portfolio. These are the PBI-Gordon Turf, Gordon’s business, PetAg, PRN Pharmacal, and Pegasus Laboratories. Out of these, the Turf business is responsible for making and selling pesticides. Some of its products include herbicides and pesticides.
PBI-Gordon Corporation, BASF SE (ETR:BAS.DE), Bayer Aktiengesellschaft (OTCMKTS:BAYRY), and Corteva, Inc. (NYSE:CTVA) are some of the largest pesticide companies in America.
14. Drexel Chemical Company
Drexel Chemical Company is an American firm that was set up in 1972. It has several crop protection chemicals products in its portfolio. These include aqueous liquids, powders, concentrates, dispersible granules, and other formulations. All in all, the Drexel Chemical Company has dozens of products in its portfolio, which cover all kinds of pesticides such as herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and desiccants. The company is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.
13. Gowan Company
Gowan Company is based in Yuma, Arizona. The firm was set up in 1962, and it is one of the most diversified privately held pesticide companies that has operations in 19 countries and sales in 70 countries. It has a host of different companies under its wing, such as Ecoflora, Cortez Transfert, Exigent, Desert Depot, and JCO Fertilizer. Naturally, this scale also lets Gowan have a wide variety of products under its portfolio. Some of these include its fungicides Affiance and Botran, its herbicides Avadex and Buckle, and its miticides Butte and Carzol SP. Cumulatively, the firm has at least 73 different crop protection products.
12. AgroFresh Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:AGFS)
Market Capitalization as of January 27, 2023: $157 million
AgroFresh Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:AGFS) is a diversified agriculture company that was set up in 1994. The firm provides post harvest product management systems, product monitoring systems, and agrochemical products in its portfolio. It is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
AgroFresh Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:AGFS) is currently in the process of being acquired by a private equity firm for $3 per share. Two of the 920 hedge funds part of Insider Monkey’s Q3 2022 survey had bought AgroFresh Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:AGFS)’s shares.
Out of these, Jim Simons’ Renaissance Technologies is the company’s largest shareholder. It owns 416,111 shares that are worth $624,000.
11. American Vanguard Corporation (NYSE:AVD)
Market Capitalization as of January 27, 2023: $662 million
American Vanguard Corporation (NYSE:AVD) is a specialty chemicals company that was set up in 1969 and is based in California. The firm makes and sells all kinds of crop protection products including herbicides, fungicides, and molluscicides.
American Vanguard Corporation (NYSE:AVD) expanded its business in January 2023 when it bought a microbial cleaning product company. By the end of Q3 2022, ten out of the 920 hedge funds polled by Insider Monkey had held a stake in the company.
Keith M. Rosenbloom’s Cruiser Capital Advisors is American Vanguard Corporation (NYSE:AVD)’s largest hedge fund investor. It owns 779,954 shares that are worth $14.5 million.
10. AdvanSix Inc. (NYSE:ASIX)
Market Capitalization as of January 27, 2023: $1.19 billion
AdvanSix Inc. (NYSE:ASIX) is an American company that is based in Parsippany, New Jersey. The firm is a chemicals manufacturer, that makes and sells fertilizers and herbicides alongside other non agricultural chemicals products.
Insider Monkey analyzed 920 hedge fund portfolios for their third quarter of 2022 investments and discovered that 17 had bought AdvanSix Inc. (NYSE:ASIX)’s shares.
AdvanSix Inc. (NYSE:ASIX)’s largest investor is Alexander Mitchell’s Scopus Asset Management which owns 500,144 shares that are worth $16 million.
9. The Andersons, Inc. (NASDAQ:ANDE)
Market Capitalization as of January 27, 2023: $1.23 billion
The Andersons, Inc. (NASDAQ:ANDE) is an Ohio based firm that was set up in 1947. It serves the needs of different markets, which also includes the agriculture sector by providing it with crop protection products. Some products are DuoCide and Insecticide III.
Insider Monkey analyzed 920 hedge fund holdings for 2022’s third quarter to discover that 16 had held a stake in The Andersons, Inc. (NASDAQ:ANDE).
George Mccabe’s Portolan Capital Management is The Andersons, Inc. (NASDAQ:ANDE)’s largest hedge fund investor through owning 264,745 shares that are worth $8.2 million.
8. Nufarm Limited (ASX:NUF.AX)
Market Capitalization as of January 27, 2023: $1.6 billion(1AUD = 0.71USD)
Nufarm Limited (ASX:NUF.AX) is an Australian company that sells crop protection and seed treatment products. These include insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides. The company is headquartered in Laverton North, Australia.
Nufarm Limited (ASX:NUF.AX)’s American business division is called The Nufarm Americas Inc. It has a manufacturing facility in Chicago that makes different products such as dry and wet herbicides, fungicides, and granular products.
7. Sinochem International Corporation (SHA:600500.SS)
Market Capitalization as of January 27, 2023: $3.72 billion (1CNY = 0.15USD)
Sinochem International Corporation (SHA:600500.SS) is a Chinese company that is one of the largest agrochemical companies in the world. The firm has several businesses, and it also owns Sygenta AG, one of the most prominent pesticides makers in the world. Sygenta also has a presence in the U.S., Syngenta US is headquartered in North Carolina.
6. Eastman Chemical Company (NYSE:EMN)
Market Capitalization as of January 27, 2023: $11 billion
Eastman Chemical Company (NYSE:EMN) is one of the older specialty chemicals companies that was set up in 1920 and is based out of Kingsport, Tennessee. Its agriculture division focuses on developing specialty fungicides such as thiram and ziram based compounds. Additionally, the company also sells methylamines and other products to the agricultural industry.
Eastman Chemical Company (NYSE:EMN) reported its fourth quarter of 2022 earnings on January 26th, 2023. The firm revealed that it had earned $2.7 billion in revenue during the quarter, that ended up topping analyst forecasts of $2.29 billion. Its full year revenue was $10.58 billion, roughly equal to its latest market capitalization of $11 billion. However, Eastman Chemical Company (NYSE:EMN)’s 89 cents earnings share missed analyst estimates of 129 cents. 32 of the 920 hedge funds part of Insider Monkey’s third quarter of 2022 survey had held a stake in Eastman Chemical Company (NYSE:EMN).
Out of these, Eastman Chemical Company (NYSE:EMN)’s largest hedge fund shareholder in our database is Israel Englander’s Millennium Management which owns 808,312 shares that are worth $57 million.
Alongside, Bayer Aktiengesellschaft (OTCMKTS:BAYRY), BASF SE (ETR:BAS.DE), and Corteva, Inc. (NYSE:CTVA) Eastman Chemical Company (NYSE:EMN) is one of the largest crop protection products companies in the USA.
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Disclosure: None. 15 Largest Pesticide Companies in USA is originally published on Insider Monkey.