The global chicory market size is estimated to be valued at USD 685 million in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 905 million by 2025, recording a CAGR of 5.7%, in terms of value. Rising prices of coffee beans along with increasing consumption of coffee, is navigating the coffee and other food & beverage manufacturers to adopt to chicory ingredient, as a cheaper substitute to coffee.
Also, high medicinal values and health benefits associated with the consumption of chicory, is expected to further propel the market. Furthermore, easy cultivation process of the crop and rising number of new entrants in the market, is substantially snowballing the growth prospects.
The chicory market, on the basis of application, was dominated by the food & beverage segment in 2019. Chicory is largely popular as an alternative to coffee. Also, its leaves are consumed in various salads across the globe. Owing to its inulin and other essential nutrient contents, the food & beverage manufacturers prefer adopting to this ingredients. Furthermoe, its lower price points make it suitable for majority of the organic and all-natural food & beverage product manufatcurers. All these factors result into the dominance of this segment, in the global market.
Chicory is currently ten times cheaper than coffee. Coffee is one of the premium food products. The prices of coffee powder have further increased due to an increase in global prices, making it impossible for companies to absorb the higher cost of raw material. Coffee companies are now blending in chicory to protect their margin. Large coffee companies that hold a couple of bestselling brands have increased their chicory content in their branded sachets to 49% from 30%.
According to Mr. S Jagdeesh Gupta, the managing director of Jyothi Chicory, India’s leading chicory manufacturer that supplies to all the leading coffee companies, “Earlier most coffee producers were offering blends with up to 30% chicory. Now virtually all my customers have raised it to 47%–49%.” This has highly increased the cultivation of chicory roots and hence the production of instant chicory powder across major countries. Direct consumer products made from chicory, such as the roasted chicory powder that is an absolute coffee substitute, are also very cheap; therefore, people now prefer more chicory because of its lower price, accompanied by significant health benefits and also is caffeine-free.
Key players in this market include Cosucra Groupe Warcoing (Belgium), Delecto Foods Pvt Ltd (India), BENEO GmbH (Germany), Sensus (Netherlands), Leroux (France), Cargill Incorporated (US), Reily Foods Company (US), Pioneer Chicory (India), PMV Nutrient Products Pvt Ltd (India), Farmvilla Food Industries Pvt Ltd (India), Murlikrishna Foods Pvt Ltd (India), Starwest Botanicals (US), STOKROS Company Ltd (Russia), Nature’s Gold Production (Netherlands), Organic Herb Trading Co (UK), Narasu’s Coffee Company (India), NP Nutra (US), Shaanxi Sciphar Natural Product Co Ltd. (China), Jamnagar Chicory Industries (India), and Herbs & Crops Overseas (India).
