Norway announced that it will donate US$ 50 million to Brazil’s Amazon Fund
On December 11th Argentina suspended temporarily the registration in which agro-export companies formalize their grain commercial operations. According to the director of the Chamber of the Oilseed Industry of Argentina, Gustavo Idígoras, the entity received an official statement informing about the measure, which will remain in force “until further notice”. (CIARA – CEC)
New economy minister, Luis Caputo, announced an increase of export taxes for corn and wheat, from 12% to 15%, and for meat, from 9% to 15%. “Once the emergency is over, we will eliminate all export taxes, which we consider perverse, and which hinder Argentine development,” said Caputo. “General tax increases are never good. Now, if this is framed as transitional and as an emergency, we have to provide support”, according to Horacio Salaverri, president of the Confederation of Rural Associations of Buenos Aires and La Pampa. (Ministry of Economy; Carbap)
If Argentina’s new government keeps the promise to “deregulate” the wheat chain, production could increase by more than 60% in the next season, reaching 25 million tonnes, according to Mariano D’Amore, board member of the Bahía Blanca Cereals Exchange. “The promised changes are radical when compared to previous governments, so expectations of the agricultural sector are huge”, said Alejandro Castro, president of the Bahia Blanca Grain Arbitration Chamber. (Bahía Blanca Cereals Exchange)
Norway announced that it will donate another US$ 50 million to Brazil’s Amazon Fund. This is the country’s first donation since the fund was halted in 2019. Brazil and Norway announced the donation at the United Nations summit on climate change, COP28, in Dubai. “Brazil is committed to zero deforestation by 2030, and support from Norway and other partner countries is essential,” said the minister of environment, Marina Silva. (MMA; Government of Brazil)
2023/24 wheat harvest was estimated at 8.6 million tonnes, a sharp drop compared to initial projections. Brazil will have to import larger volumes of wheat and local milling will also be harmed. Estimated wheat production is 7.4% lower compared to November projections, due to lower yields in the South, said StoneX risk management consultant, Jonathan Pinheiro. Until last month, the projection was for a harvest of 9.28 million tonnes. (StoneX)
Ibama agents identified illegal deforestation on more than 4 thousand hectares in the Pantanal Region of the State of Mato Grosso in November. Inspectors imposed fines totaling US$ 6.94 million and seized 15 tractors used to deforest native vegetation. (Ibama)
El Niño is expected to intensify in the coming months, causing below-average rainfall in much of Brazil. Average air temperatures are expected to remain above historical averages in all regions. Farmers should prepare for drought conditions predicted for this quarter. It is important that irrigation and crop management measures are adopted to minimize the impacts of droughts. (InMet; INPE)
Russia audited 11 Brazilian slaughterhouses for export, being six poultry meat plants and five beef plants. Russian delegation visited slaughterhouses and breeding establishments in six States and in the Federal District. Brazilian exports of beef and poultry meat to the Russian market reached US$ 278 million in 2022. Between January and October 2023, trade flow reached US$ 250 million, reaching 22.2% of Brazilian exports to Russia . (Ministry of Agriculture)
Nova Xavantina, State of Mato Grosso, has already lost 20% of its soybean crops and the situation could get worse given bad forecasts for December and January. According to the President of the Rural Union of Nova Xavantina, Artemio Antonini, 5% of the area has not yet been planted, 3% has been replanted and between 1.5% and 2% will not be planted with soybeans, but will be replaced by corn in the first harvest. (Rural Union of Nova Xavantina)
Agricultural Department of the State of Santa Catarina published a technical note against the suspension of wild boar slaughter after the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources – Ibama preventively suspended the practice. According to the Secretariat, the boar destroys crops and puts people and domestic animals at risk. The note indicates that, in the last 12 months, approximately 50,000 wild boars were slaughtered in Santa Catarina and recalls that the State is the largest Brazilian producer and exporter, having reached a record in exports with the shipment of 602.1 thousand tonnes, which made US$ 1.4 billion dollars in 2022. (Department of Agriculture of Santa Catarina)
Coamo approved investments of US$ 710 million for the period 2024 – 2026, which will include the construction of a corn ethanol plant and the expansion of warehouses, said the cooperative’s executive president, Airton Galinari. (Coamo Agroindustrial)
By 2024, the poultry sector estimates production growth of 1.7%. In relation to market prices for futures of yellow corn and soybean, a reduction of approximately 3% is expected. (Fenavi)
National Land Agency delivered 432 rural property titles to peasants and indigenous people in the south, in the regions of Nariño, Cauca and Putumayo, totaling 56,815 hectares. 2015 families were benefited. (ANT)
USA and Canadian governments and the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture are investigating outbreaks of salmonella infection allegedly caused by consumption of melons imported from Mexico, under the Malichita and Rudy brands, which have received recall alerts. 129 cases in Canada and 230 cases in the USA have been confirmed, and 8 people have died. (Senasica; CFIA; FDA)
Citrus production should grow 6.1% in 2023, reaching 3.29 million tonnes. Orange harvest is expected to grow by 3%, reaching 5 million tonnes. Citrus exports during the first seven months of the year reached US$ 447 million. (Ministry of Agriculture)
After cases in Argentina and Uruguay in recent weeks, equine encephalitis virus was detected in a man in the Darién province of Panama, near the border with Colombia. The virus is transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito and mainly affects horses, but can also be transmitted to other mammals. (Ministry of Health)
Critical reduction in the local tomato harvest has almost doubled prices. Representative of the National Council of Fruit and Vegetable Farmers, Abel Brítez, said that the price of tomatoes is favorable for farmers and ruled out the need to open up imports, as it would be enough to “avoid intermediaries” to make the product cheaper for end consumers. (National Council of Fruit and Vegetable Farmers)
Market for beef meal and bone meal imports from Brazil was opened. Negotiations started in July of 2016 and were concluded with the approval of the International Health Certificate. Beef meal and bone meal are produced by animal recycling companies, which generate products by processing waste from the meat industry. (Ministry of Agriculture)
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