Syngenta’s sales fell 3.3%
Brazil
Vice-president Geraldo Alckmin said that he is focused on creating public policies to reduce dependence on imported fertilizers and ensure that Brazil becomes more competitive. “Between 1998 and 2001, there was a 440% increase in fertilizer imports. This external dependence costs US$ 25 billion per year. We need to mitigate this situation with investments in research and technology”, said Alckmin. The vice president announced that the new National Fertilizer Plan will be launched in November of 2023. (MDIC)
Roberto Araújo is the new director of chemical pesticides at CropLife Brasil. (CropLife Brasil)
Ministry of Agriculture approved 63 pesticide registrations. Among
In compliance with a court decision, Anvisa approves toxicological evaluation of a glufosinate-ammonium from Rainbow. (Anvisa)
Brazilian demand for imported fertilizers may grow by approximately 20% until 2030, while the global demand for fertilizers should grow from 15% to 20%, according to Bruno Fonseca, analyst at Rabobank Brasil. (Rabobank Brasil)
Development of nanopesticides made from metal oxide nanoparticles, such as copper, zinc, and manganese, can reduce pest infestation and benefit plant metabolism, resulting in better plant development. Zinc oxide nanoparticles, for example, can help control diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, and nematodes. Research indicates that nanoparticulate zinc, in addition to being a micronutrient, provided increased levels of chlorophyll and carotenoids when used in the production of carrots, also favoring a greater growth and weight increase of the roots. (Croplife Brasil)
Unigel’s Nitrogen Fertilizers Facility resumed production of urea and ammonia in the city of Laranjeiras, State of Sergipe. Activities were suspended since May, due to the price of natural gas, the main raw material. The facilities have an annual production capacity of 650 thousand tonnes of urea, 450 thousand tonnes of ammonia and 320 thousand tonnes of ammonium sulfate. (Unigel)
City Council of São Carlos, State of São Paulo, approved a bill prohibiting pesticide aerial spraying and establishes a fine of US$ 3.05 thousand in the case of breach. The proposed law highlights that pesticide spraying by plane represents risks to human and animal health, in addition to causing damage to the local vegetation. The matter still needs the approval of Mayor Airton Garcia. Under the new legislation, the use of drones weighing up to 101 kg remains allowed. City councilor Azuaite Martins de França, then co-author of the bill, asked that his signature be withdrawn from the bill after verifying the possible risk of unconstitutionality of the proposition. (City Council of São Carlos)
Minister of the environment, Marina Silva, dismissed Marília de Paula Porto from the executive commissioned position of general coordinator of the General Coordination for the Evaluation and Control of Chemical Substances, of Ibama’s Environmental Quality Board. (Ibama)
Brazilian Association of Plant Nutrition Technology Industries – Abisolo will hold the 1st Abisolo Forum on Organic Fertilizers. The event will take place on November 8th and 9th, in Piracicaba, State of São Paulo. (Abisolo)
Deliveries of fertilizers in Brazil are expected to grow (considering the best scenario) to 42.8 million tonnes in the 2023/24 harvest, compared to 41.1 million tonnes in 2022/23, according to MB Agro’s partner Alexandre Mendonça de Barros. However, fertilizer deliveries should take place later in 2023/24, after starting the year at a slow pace. (MB Agro)
During the launch of the Parliamentary Front in Defense of the Rice Productive Sector, at the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, the State deputy Marcos Vinícius said the defense of agricultural aviation in Rio Grande do Sul will be one of the objectives of the group’s work. “The project that aims to ban spraying carried out by aircrafts and drones throughout Rio Grande do Sul cannot be approved, and we are going to work to avoid it”, said Marcos Vinícius. The State is responsible for approximately 70% of the rice in Brazil. The rice crop is especially dependent on agricultural aviation because it is flooded during a large part of its cycle. (Legislative Assembly of Rio Grande do Sul)
Purchase of fertilizers for 2023/24 soybean season reached 87% of the necessary total during the last two months. Value spent by farmers reached the highest level for this period in the last five years, even with the industry suffering the consequences of the delay in the purchases by farmers. (Agrinvest; Itaú BBA)
Latin America
Syngenta’s sales fell 3.3%, reaching US$ 17.5 billion in the 1H of 2023. Crop protection sales fell 5.8%, to US$ 8.1 billion, decreasing in Europe, Africa, Middle East, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific (excluding China), but increasing in North America. The seeds division had an 8.7% increase in sales, reaching US$ 2.5 billion, with improvements in all major regions, with the exception of Latin America. According to Syngenta, Latin America showed an accelerated demand in the 1H of 2022, because of the concern of farmers with bottlenecks in the supply of agrochemicals, which also resulted in higher costs and selling prices. (Syngenta)
The company Nova, from Santa Fe, Argentina, announced an investment of US$ 15 million to build a microgranulated fertilizer factory. “We want to have the products already available for the new wheat season”, said Mauro Piva, CEO of Nova. (Nova)
Researchers in Bolivia are transforming forest residues into biochar, a carbon-rich product that can be used as fertilizer. José Grajeda Cruz, head of R&D at Exomad Green, based in Concepción, said biochar has benefits that help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Exomad Green has the largest global biochar production project, removing 300,000 tonnes of waste and producing 90,000 tonnes of biochar per year. “For Bolivia, the most important thing is that, by improving crop yields, [the use of biochar] reduces deforestation because local people no longer need to cut down forests to compensate for reduced productivity caused by soil degradation,” he said. Jose Cruz. (Exomad Green)
Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos – YPFB, a Bolivian state-owned company, announced it will deliver 2,500 tonnes of granulated urea to the Granulated Fertilizer Production Plant in Cochabamba. “We have 60 days to deliver this amount of urea”, said the president of YPFB, Armin Dorgathen. (YPFB)
Government of Brazil formalized its interest in buying fertilizers from Bolivia and proposed investments in new urea, potassium chloride and NPK production plants, according to the Minister of Hydrocarbons and Energy, Franklin Molina Ortiz. “The government of President Inácio Lula da Silva… sees Bolivia as the best ally to generate investments in new industrial facilities and even in a petrochemical plant,” said Ortiz. (Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy)
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