490.9% increase in cases of Asian soybean rust in Brazil
Soybean sowing reaches 78.6% of the planned area, with the remaining area located mainly in the north of the agricultural region. The cultivation condition is considered predominantly Normal/Excellent, and 10% of the planted area is at the beginning of the reproductive stage. Corn sowing, in turn, reached 69.9% of the planned area, however, the southeast and southwest regions are suffering from the impact of adverse weather events, such as hail. (Buenos Aires Cereal Exchange)
The Government of the State of São Paulo launched a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of combating Greening. The measure is part of the set of actions taken by the State management to control the disease, which includes creating a reporting channel for farmers and removing infected seedlings. The State governor Tarcísio de Freitas pointed out that controlling the pest must be treated as a priority, with short, medium, and long-term actions. (Government of São Paulo)
Paraná’s State Agricultural Defense Agency (Adapar) intensified the inspection of agricultural machinery and implements entering the State. Inspections take place at all Adapar Agricultural Transit Inspection Posts, located on the borders of the State of Paraná with other States. According to the coordinator of the agency’s Certification, Traceability and Plant Epidemiology Program, Juliano Galhardo, “If the machines are not clean, they will be prevented from entering the State of Paraná, and they will be rejected. Therefore, they must return to undergo adequate cleaning, and only then their entry will be authorized. […] This procedure is adopted to protect our agriculture, as cultural remains and soil adhered to machines that come from other states can bring pests, such as nematodes and weed seeds, capable of causing serious damage to agriculture in Paraná”. (Adapar)
Ibama resumes analysis of authorization requests from individuals or legal entities to control wild boars, including the capture or slaughter of this invasive exotic species. To request authorization, it is necessary to fill out an online form in the Fauna Management Information System. It is considered an environmental infraction to act without authorization and violators can be penalized with fines and imprisonment. (Ibama)
The Ministry of Agriculture’s Rural Insurance Program applied around 107 thousand insurance policies to 70 thousand farmers, reaching 6.25 million hectares of insured crops. The amount represents coverage close to US$ 8 billion, so that, for each dollar invested in the subsidy, around US$ 42 were protected. (MAPA)
Stonex reduces the estimate of Brazilian soybean production to 152.8 million tonnes in the 2023/24 harvest, ruling out the possibility of a record harvest, since the 2022/23 harvest produced 157.7 million tonnes. The previous estimate was 161.9 million tonnes, and was reduced due to the lack of rain in much of the country’s producing region. (StoneX)
China imported around 1.15 million bags of coffee up to November 2023, more than triple its imports in the same period of 2022. For the first time, exports exceed 1 million bags in a year, which makes China the eighth main destination for Brazilian coffee. (Cecafé)
Marfrig increased its shareholding in BRF, reaching 50% of the company’s capital. According to Marfrig, the objective of the acquisition is only to increase shareholding, without changing the current composition of control or the company’s administrative structure. There were no contracts or agreements regulating the right to vote or the purchase and sale of securities issued by BRF. (Marfrig; BRF)
Due to the health emergency for avian influenza throughout Brazil, the Agricultural Defense Agency of the State of Goiás published a Normative Instruction establishing the deadline of January 31, 2024 for registration or re-registration of commercial poultry establishments at the agency. The objective is to ensure the prevention and control of Avian Influenza and NewCastle in the State. Registration must be done through the Goiás Agricultural Defense System and all registrations granted will be valid until December 31, 2024. (Government of Goiás)
The National Congress enacted the complement to the time frame Law for the demarcation of indigenous lands (Law 14701/23), containing the sections initially vetoed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The new law only allows the demarcation of indigenous lands that were already occupied or were disputed by indigenous peoples until October 5, 1988, the date of promulgation of the Constitution. (Câmara de Notícias Agency)
It is expected that Brazil surpasses the USA in cotton exports. The cultivation of the 2023/24 harvest in Brazil will likely be encouraged by delays in soybean sowing, which should maintain the large domestic surplus in 2024 and part of 2025. This scenario, together with lower supply from the US, should lead Brazil to overtake the competing country, becoming the third largest producer and the largest exporter of cotton lint in the world in 2024. (CEPEA)
According to the Soybean Antirust Consortium, there was an increase of 490.9% in cases of soybean Asian rust. By the end of 2023, 130 occurrences were reported, whereas in the same period in 2022 there were only 22 records. The possible causes are the less severe winter in the South region, which favored the emergence of volunteer soybeans that carry the disease inoculum, and the effect of El Niño. The second one caused long dry periods in the main producing areas of the country, making it difficult to establish soybeans and leading to delays in sowing, or even leading to the need for replanting in several areas such as the State of Minas Gerais and the State of Bahia. (Embrapa Soja)
Brazil reached the milestone of 22 cereal ethanol production plants after the start of operations at the Neomille unit, in Maracaju, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, controlled by Cerradinho Bioenergia. Currently, corn and cereal ethanol already represents more than 20% of national biofuel production. The new plant received US$ 220.3 million in investments and has a production capacity of 266 million liters of ethanol, 161 thousand tonnes of DDGs, 10 thousand tonnes of oil, in addition to 51 GWh. It is also expected to create around 200 direct jobs and 600 indirect jobs. (Uniem; Cerradinho Bio)
Colombia will be able to resume exports of bovine semen to Costa Rica, thanks to advances and the strengthening of disease prevention and eradication programs. The Animal Quarantine Directorate of Senasa in Costa Rica sent a new proposal for sanitary requirements for the export of bovine semen, which was reviewed and approved by the Colombian Agricultural Institute. This opens up opportunities for the country’s livestock sector to disseminate the genetics of breeds such as Zebu, Brahman and others. (ICA)
Colombia handed over and formalized 1.4 million hectares of rural properties to peasant families by December 2023 through the agrarian reform, benefiting more than 60 thousand families. 200 thousand hectares were also acquired to be handed over to peasant and ethnic families who do not own land. (ANT; SAE)
After two years of decline because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ecuador’s banana exports increased by 6% in 2023, totaling 316.35 million boxes. Shipments to the EU, for example, increased by 18%. (Banana Exporters Association of Ecuador)
The Mexican Ministry of Agriculture has established collaboration with Brazil to develop a regional plan that will allow poultry and egg trade to be maintained between the countries, despite possible outbreaks of avian influenza. The plan consists of mapping the areas of both countries that would not be affected by the disease, in order to keep trade in these regions moving. Establishing a “containment zone” in line with WHO guidelines could prevent a nationwide export ban if avian influenza reached commercial flocks. (Ministry of Agriculture)
Exports of Peruvian mangoes to the USA fell by 35%, due to El Niño, which influenced the appropriate weather conditions to stimulate flowering, reducing production. According to Greg Golden, a mango importing and distributing company in the USA, this created a shortage of supply in the north of the country, taking into account that Ecuador, another supplier of the fruit, faces a similar situation. The scenario should continue for a few more months, but there was a temporary relief in supply with the arrival of two ships exported by Brazil at the end of November. (Greg Golden)
Peruvian table grape exports reached US$ 899.2 million by October 2023, an increase of 30.3% compared to the US $689.9 million achieved in the same period of 2022. The main destinations were the United States, the Netherlands, Mexico, Hong Kong and China. The first shipments of table grapes to Japan were also made, after authorization received in March 2023. (ADEX)
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