What Decco does

DECCO is a global specialist in postharvest protection solutions for fruits and vegetables, founded in 1934 in California and operating today as a wholly-owned subsidiary of UPL Ltd. (acquired 2006 via the Cerexagri transaction). The company serves commercial fruit and vegetable growers, packing houses, exporters, shippers, and retailers across more than 40 countries through a direct B2B model with regional technical service teams. Its core product portfolio spans six categories: fungicides, edible coatings, sanitizers and cleaners, plant growth regulators (including 1-MCP ethylene control), precision application equipment, and pre-harvest (Nearharvest) products. The portfolio is anchored by proprietary technologies including the FULLCOVER Ultra-Low Volume Electrostatic Application system (acquired via IngeAgro in 2020), NaturCover natural edible coatings, ArcAqua ozone release technology, and the TeleSense AI-powered remote monitoring platform (acquired 2022).

DECCO monetizes through product sales, hardware (application equipment), and professional services bundled as its 360-Degree Postharvest Service. Pricing is B2B and quote-based, with solutions tailored by crop, region, and customer specification. The company operates 8-9 manufacturing sites globally (USA, Spain, Italy, France, Israel, South Africa, China, India, Brazil) and holds 39 granted patents with 59 pending applications. It claims market-leading positions in postharvest citrus globally and protects more than 15 million tons of produce annually, including dominant share in specific export markets such as Chile (70% of exports) and Costa Rica pineapples (50%).

The business operates within UPL's OpenAg network and benefits from the parent's $5-6 billion revenue base and 10,000+ global workforce, while maintaining operational autonomy in its specialized postharvest segment. Recent strategic activity has emphasized technology-led differentiation (TeleSense acquisition, DECCO Zox azoxystrobin registration in Europe), capacity expansion (new Valencia plant operational October 2025), and adjacent vertical expansion (potato storage, berries, avocados via FullCover).

Name

Decco

Legal name

DECCO IBERICA POST-HARVEST, SAU

Website

https://deccopostharvest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

DECCO is a global postharvest solutions provider for fruits and vegetables, supplying fungicides, coatings, sanitizers, application equipment, and AI-based storage monitoring to growers, packers, and exporters in 40+ countries. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UPL Ltd.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paterna

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Postharvest Chemical Products: Sale of fungicides, sanitizers, cleaners, and plant protection products for postharvest treatment of fruits and vegetables. Includes specialized coatings, waxes, and decay control solutions.
2. Application Equipment: Sale and service of precision dosing equipment, application systems, and monitoring technology for postharvest treatment facilities.
3. Technical Services: 360-Degree Postharvest Service including pre-campaign evaluation, quality process improvement plans, application assistance, storage monitoring, and personalized technical assessments.
4. Near Harvest Solutions: Pre-harvest products including sun protection, fertilizers, and growth enhancers applied before harvest.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

DECCO manufactures and sells postharvest protection products (fungicides, edible coatings, sanitizers, plant growth regulators) and precision application equipment for fruits and vegetables, complemented by technical services such as pre-campaign evaluation, application support, and remote storage monitoring. The company serves commercial fruit/vegetable producers, packers, exporters, and storage operators across more than 40 countries.

Product overview

DECCO Postharvest is a global leader in postharvest solutions for fruits and vegetables, offering a comprehensive portfolio of products, equipment, and services. The company provides five main product categories: Fungicides (broad-spectrum disease prevention), Coatings (senescence delay and quality maintenance), Sanitizers and Cleaners (cleaning and fungistatic effects), Plant Growth Regulators (ethylene control and sprout management), Equipment (precision application technology), and Nearharvest (pre-harvest orchard protection). Key product lines include the DeccoNatur Zero Residue line and Fresh Defense brand. The portfolio includes named products such as DECCO Zox (azoxystrobin fungicide), FullCover electrostatic application system, NaturCover natural coatings, ArcAqua ozone technology, TeleSense monitoring solutions, DECCO Sol Max detergent, Deccosan FH sanitizer, Melanite fungicide, and Citrashine waxes. Services include 360-Degree Postharvest Service, Pre-campaign Evaluation, Postharvest Quality Process Improvement Plan, Application and Dosage support, Storage Monitoring, and Personal Assessment. The company operates across 40+ countries with 7-9 manufacturing sites as part of the UPL Group's OpenAg network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DeccoNatur: All-in-one Zero Residue product line featuring natural edible coatings and bio-based solutions
• DECCOSHIELD
• NaturCover
• FullCover
• ArcAqua
• OpenAg
• DECCO Zox
• TeleSense

Products and services

• Fungicides Broad-spectrum postharvest fungicides for decay and disease prevention in fruits and vegetables, including DECCO Zox (azoxystrobin), Melanite (propiconazole) and Deccofos, offering flexible application methods for citrus, pome fruit and other crops.
• Edible Coatings Postharvest fruit coatings such as NaturCover (natural extract-based), Naturcover citrics, Naturcover Conservacion Extra, NATURCOVER EXTRA CONSERVATION, and Citrashine fusion that delay senescence, reduce weight loss, maintain firmness and improve appearance.
• Sanitizers and Cleaners Post-harvest sanitizers and detergents including Deccosan FH (hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid sanitizer for citrus and peppers) and DECCO Sol Max (detergent for removing soot and surface contaminants from citrus).
• Plant Growth Regulators Storage solutions including 1-MCP (ethylene receptor blocker for pome fruits), ETILENSTOP (ethylene removal system for cold storage), and potato sprout control agents CIPC (chlorpropham), DMN (1,4-dimethylnaphthalene), and Maleic Hydrazide (MH).
• Application Equipment Precision dosing and application equipment including the FULLCOVER Ultra-Low Volume Electrostatic Application Technology (for water-sensitive fruits), SRC fungicide drencher recovery system, and DECCO Daf automatic fungicide dosifier (launched 1999).
• Nearharvest Products Pre-harvest orchard solutions including DECCOSHIELD (sun protection for sunburn and heat stress prevention on foliar and fruit), POTATO FRESH (grade seed oil formula for potato protection), and growth enhancers applied before harvest.
• Shellac Products Natural shellac products for food applications produced by the Anning Decco Biotech joint venture in Kunming, China. Recognized as direct food additive (E904) and supplied to global markets.
• TeleSense Remote Monitoring AI-powered remote monitoring solution for crop storage and transportation using scalable sensor technology to monitor temperature, humidity and CO2 levels in stored grain and crops, with early detection of hotspots, excess moisture and pests.
• Fresh Defense (Potato Storage Brand) Brand carrying sprout inhibitors, sanitizers, disinfectants, coatings and technology for potato storage management under the DECCO portfolio.
• 360-Degree Postharvest Service Holistic technical service combining pre-campaign evaluation, quality process improvement plans, on-site application assistance, and storage monitoring through close collaboration with DECCO experts for tailor-made plans.
• Pre-campaign Evaluation Evaluation service identifying challenging parameters affecting fruit quality and safety, including detection of pathogens in the environment, packing lines and containers.
• Postharvest Quality Process Improvement Plan Service to improve specific packinghouse operations including identification of physiological disorders, laboratory sampling, data analysis and implementation monitoring.
• Storage Monitoring Service Monitoring of ethylene, CO2, temperature and chamber tightness along with produce quality assessment for optimum storage conditions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Protects 9.5 million tons of citrus annually, helping avoid 1.5 million tons of citrus waste
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TeleSensecoreTechnology or Integration · 16 September 2022DECCO acquired TeleSense, the world's leading provider of remote monitoring solutions for crop storage and transportation. TeleSense uses AI-powered sensor technology to monitor temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels in stored crops. The acquisition advances DECCO's mission to reduce food waste and support food supply chain sustainability, joining the OpenAg network.
• UPL Ltd. (Parent Company)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021UPL Ltd. acquired DECCO in 2006 as part of Cerexagri acquisition. UPL is a global provider of sustainable agriculture products and solutions with revenue exceeding $5 billion, present in 130+ countries with 10,000+ employees. DECCO operates as a UPL company under the OpenAg network, committed to reimagining sustainability for global agriculture.
• IngeAgro, SA (Chile)coreTechnology or Integration · 14 September 2020DECCO acquired IngeAgro, SA and its FULLCOVER Ultra-Low Volume Electrostatic Application Technology. Founded by Tomas Yakasovic in 2013, IngeAgro developed patented electrostatic application technology for postharvest treatments. The acquisition enables DECCO to expand into new crop markets and provides dry application technology for water-sensitive produce.
• Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPTC)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018DECCO sponsors UPTC's International PostHarvest Course for 12 consecutive years. Dr. Francisco Artés Hernández directs the training program. DECCO sends speakers and students to the 45-hour course featuring 37 speakers from Italy, USA, Chile and 70 students.
• Citrashine South AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010DECCO acquired Citrashine South Africa, a leader in service, production, and R&D for citrus, mango, and avocado markets. Citrashine is the leader in developing and producing dosing equipment and brushes. This acquisition strengthened DECCO's global structure and provided direct access to South African clients and emerging markets.
• FRUITTRADE ChileminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2010DECCO is the only company dedicated to postharvest present at FRUITTRADE, the main business conference in South America organized by FEDEFRUTA. FRUITTRADE facilitates direct business between domestic producers and foreign buyers.
• Anning Decco Biotech Co., Ltd (China)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Joint venture between DECCO Postharvest (UPL Limited group) and State-owned Yunnan Anning Chemical (Anhua). Founded in 1996, operations began 1998. Located in Kunming, Yunnan province, China. Specializes in natural shellac products for food applications. Recognized as direct food additive (E904) by leading agencies and US FDA registered facility.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• AgroFresh Solutions: AgroFresh is the most direct competitor to DECCO, specializing in postharvest coatings and ethylene management (SmartFresh 1-MCP), serving the same global fruit packer and exporter customers with overlapping fungicide, coating, and monitoring solutions.
• Citrosol: Spanish Valencia-based direct competitor focused on postharvest citrus treatments including waxes, fungicides, and sanitizers; competes head-to-head with DECCO Ibérica in European and Latin American citrus export markets.
• Pace International: North American leader in postharvest coatings, fungicides, and sanitizers for apples, pears, cherries, and citrus; Pace offers directly overlapping products to similar packer and exporter customers, now operating within JBT's food processing portfolio.
• Xeda International: Postharvest coatings, sanitizers, and treatment equipment provider focused on European fruit and vegetable markets; overlaps directly with DECCO's NaturCover and Citrashine product lines across apple, pear, and stone fruit segments.

Broad incumbents

• JBT Corporation: Diversified food processing and postharvest equipment provider that owns Pace International; competes with DECCO's dosing and application equipment lines while offering broader processing systems to similar fruit and vegetable customers.
• Syngenta Group: Global crop protection incumbent (now part of Sinochem) with broad fungicide portfolios; competes in agricultural chemicals adjacent to DECCO's pre-harvest fungicides while providing less specialized postharvest depth.
• Bayer Crop Science: One of the largest global crop protection companies with extensive fungicide portfolios; offers overlapping active ingredients used in both pre-harvest and postharvest applications but lacks DECCO's specialized postharvest focus.
• BASF Agricultural Solutions: Major global agricultural chemical manufacturer with fungicide, coating, and plant growth regulator offerings; competes broadly with DECCO's chemical products while serving a much wider crop protection customer base.
• Corteva Agriscience: Diversified crop protection and seed company with significant fungicide exposure; overlaps with DECCO's active ingredient categories but does not specialize in the postharvest treatment niche.
• FMC Corporation: Global agricultural sciences company with broad fungicide, insecticide, and plant health portfolios; competes with DECCO's pre-harvest and postharvest chemical categories while operating across many non-overlapping segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deccopostharvest
• Xx.com/deccoiberica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Decco