Brazil Agrochemical Update - 12/16/2022

Brazilian Agrochemical Market Fertilizer and Pesticide News

German parliament expressed concern regarding possible approval of Pesticide Bill 1459/2022

Joint project between Pamplona and Epagri develops fertilizer from agro-industrial residues, transformed through composting into organic compost, in the process of registration at the Ministry of Agriculture. It should allow the wide use of the product, including in organic crops. Tests were performed with the compound in plantations of banana, arugula and royal palm, with positive results. According to the companies, the system allows the reuse of 86% of waste. Only 14% of the residues will be destined to landfills. (Pamplona; Epagri)

Fertilizer Purchasing Power Index improved in November, reaching 1.1, favoring the exchange ratio and making the input more accessible for farmers. Improvement reflects the average reduction of 7% in fertilizer prices compared to October and the appreciation of the main agricultural commodities produced in Brazil. November value was the best level of the year for the index. (Mosaic)

Urea imports in November 2022 were 16.1% lower compared to the same period in 2021. Total for 2022 so far was 8.6% lower than the previous year. For ammonium nitrate, the imported volume for all months of 2022 was lower than when compared to the monthly totals for 2021, year that reached a total of 1.9 million tonnes. So far, in 2022, only 987 thousand tonnes of ammonium nitrate have been imported(Itaú BBA)

After a year of high volatility for agricultural input prices, greater stability is expected in 2023 for fertilizer and pesticide prices, according to the president of Nutrien for Latin America, André Dias. War in Ukraine raised concerns about a shortage of fertilizers, increasing fertilizer prices. Prices were already relatively high, especially for Brazil, that imports approximately 85% of its needs. With fears of shortages gone, values fell by half. The volatile market hinders the planning of farmers and companies in the sector. “The war in Ukraine generated all sorts of expectations of product shortages. After May, prices started to drop,” said Dias. Some inputs had their values reduced by half. (Nutrien)

TerraMagna fintech performs its first fertilizer operation in partnership with Autem Trade Company. Negotiation is part of the TerraMagna National Fertilizer Program, launched in 2022, that provides US$ 93,87 million in credit for agribusiness. Operation consisted of the purchase of urea and potassium chloride in natura imported from Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Value of the operation and imported quantity were not disclosed. (TerraMagna; Autem Trade Company)

José Otávio Menten, president of the Sustainable Agribusiness Scientific Council, warns of the lack of information about the use of pesticides in Brazil: “People confuse leadership in the market with consumption. Consumption must be expressed through the amount of pesticides applied by area or product harvested. If we consider these indicators, that are correct, Brazil is in a position far below countries like the Netherlands, France or Japan, considered developed countries. That is, we use a lot because we produce a lot. We have a very large market because we have a large area, we have two or three seasons a year and we are a tropical country, where pests are frequent. Farmers only use pesticides when it’s really necessary and with great care because they don’t want to burden their production costs”, explained Menten. (CCAS)



Vittia announced payment of US$ 6.2 million in interest on equity to the company’s shareholders, calculated for the fiscal year that ended December 31, 2021, that, according to the company, did not undergo equity adjustments in 2022. Payment will be made in two installments, the first on January 4, 2023, and the second still without a set date. (Vittia)

Andreza Kerr Fantine is the new stewardship leader for Latin America at Corteva Agriscience. Fantine was head of Croplife Brasil’s crop protection products division, regulatory affairs manager at Sindiveg and technical coordinator at Aenda. (Corteva Agriscience)

Vice president-elect, Geraldo Alckmin, attended the 2º Fórum Planeta Campo, in São Paulo, State of São Paulo, where he highlighted the importance of pesticides for tropical agriculture. “Agility is needed for the evaluation of new molecules and products, so that human health is not compromised and, on the other hand, so there is no bureaucracy. It is possible to be sustainable, productive and safe for health”, said Alckmin. (2º Fórum Planeta Campo)

Adama inaugurated an industrial site in Taquari, State of Rio Grande do Sul, focused on the production of active ingredients, such as prothioconazole for new fungicides, aiming at the soybean and cotton market. Investment of US$ 55.73 million is part of the company’s plan to double the revenue of the Brazilian operation and launch eight new products in the coming years. Adama holds 6% of the Brazilian pesticide market share, with an expectation of reaching 10% by 2025, according to CEO Romeu Stanguerlin. (Adama Brasil)

Gabriela Ohata is the new planning & quality lead for Latin America at Syngenta. (Syngenta)

Ministry of Agriculture approves registration of 45 formulated product pesticides, among them are 22 low-impact products and 15 for organic agriculture. (MAPA)



Approximately 65 tonnes of pesticides banned in Brazil were incinerated in Cuiabá, State of Mato Grosso. Action determined by federal inspection aimed to remove counterfeit, smuggled or adulterated products from circulation. (MAPA; PRF)

Sindiveg estimates a 100% increase in the area treated with pesticides against the corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis) in the first and second corn seasons in 2022. Area should reach 39.1 million hectares. Considering only the second season, there should be an increase of 177% in the application of pesticides, reaching 32.8 million hectares. (National Union of the Industry of Plant Defense Products)

German parliament members expressed concern regarding the possible approval of Pesticide Bill 1459/2022, that deals with the use of pesticides. Letter signed by 21 German parliamentarians was sent to the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, to the president of the Commission for Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, senator Acir Gurgacz, and to senators Eliziane Gama and Paulo Rocha, who are also members of the Commission. “Germany is an important trading partner of Brazil, both in terms of agricultural products and agricultural inputs. We ask you as colleagues to not hastily approve the bill in the last days of this mandate, on the eve of the transition to a new president and in the midst of debates on the resumption of negotiations on the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur”, affirmed the parliamentarians in the document. (CRA; German Parliament)

House of Representatives approves Bill 358/2021, that aims to classify and regulate the treatment and production of bio inputs through on-farm biological management. Bill was sent to the Senate for further consideration. (Brazilian House of Representatives)

Paraíba State Health Surveillance Agency intensifies the collection of samples of food products available for sale and consumption in the State. Objective is to accelerate the analysis of harmful residue levels to the consumers’ health. Action is part of Agevisa’s integration into the Program for the Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Food, that aims to assess the levels of pesticide residues in foods of plant origin. Since the creation of the program in 2001, more than 35,000 samples have been analyzed, referring to 28 types of food of vegetable origin. “Based on these analyses, reports are generated and disseminated with the results that, today, constitute one of the main indicators of the quality of food purchased in the retail market and consumed by the population”, explains Agevisa’s food technical manager, Patrícia Assunção. (Agevisa – PB)

Coexistence of agriculture and pesticides with beekeeping is necessary to guarantee the potential of bees and of food production. Subject is a training agenda provided by Colmeia Viva, a virtual program of the National Union of the Plant Defense Products Industry. “In many agricultural crops there is only economically viable production when there is the presence of pollinating agents. Through this educational action, the industry seeks to maximize the protection of bees, encouraging dialogue between farmers,” informs Fábio Kagi, manager of regulatory affairs at Sindiveg. (Sindiveg)


 

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