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Growth perspectives in Amenity
The 2021 season was better than 2020, the latter being characterised by stock
piling due to Covid and the passivity of municipalities. Sales grew by 6% in Europe
despite strong competition based on fatty acids and acetic acid-based products.
Cities are under societal and political pressure:
• On one hand, they are worried about letting their employees go outside
with a knapsack sprayer on their back. Whatever the product it contains,
citizens link a knapsack to pesticides and to danger, especially in public
areas like parks where children can play.
• On the other hand, there are some places like cemeteries that citizens
like to keep clean.
As mayors are also under political pressure to replace glyphosate, there is still
some space to grow and good prospects to continue the development of
Katoun
®
Gold and Chikara
®
/Katana
®
sales.
Turf, especially sports courses, is a segment which needs good protection
against pests like chafer grubs, leather jackets and against diseases like Dollar
Spot and Fusarium. It is a very technical market, a niche (roughly 6,000 ha of
golf greens in Europe), but a high value one, making it completely different
from agricultural crops and largely more profitable in terms of spend per ha.
Here Belchim has promising projects in the pipeline, which fit with the demand
and will benefit from a team dedicated to support them in the main countries.
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