Area dedicated to wheat is declining in Brazil
Workers in the soybean processing industry began a strike on April 29th. According to a statement issued by the Soybean Processors Workers Union, the port of San Lorenzo will be affected, with 80% of companies operating in the terminal being impacted by the strike. Exports should be significantly compromised, but domestic consumption should not feel the effects. “In addition to the strikes by oilseed workers, today we will also see the start of another strike, that of the union of state workers who monitor food quality, which could also affect shipments at Argentine ports”, according to Agrinvest Commodities. (Sindicato de Obreros y Empleados Aceiteros; Agrinvest Commodities)
China lost its position as Argentina’s second most important trading partner in March. According to the latest report on Argentine commercial exchange, released by the National Institute of Statistics and Census, the second place is now held by the European Union, while China became the third largest trading partner. Sales to China fell 24.2% year-on-year, while purchases fell 34.9% in the period. (Indec)
After successive increases in the past four seasons, with an increase of more than 70% between 2019 and 2023, the area dedicated to wheat is declining this year. According to researchers from the Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics, the lower cereal prices combined with climate uncertainties and high costs explain the possible reduction in cultivation. The National Supply Company estimates an average decline of 4.7% in the area sown with wheat when compared to the last season, with an estimated drop of 7% in the South. In the State of Paraná, there should be a reduction of 19% in the area planted with wheat, reaching 1.14 million hectares. Despite this, production is expected to grow 4%, reaching 3.8 million hectares in the State, due to increased productivity. (Cepea; Deral; Conab)
Soybean and corn harvests could perform better than expected, despite the initial weather problems in the 2023/24 season. Expectation is for a busy second semester in grain exports, said the president of Cargill in Brazil, Paulo Sousa. “We don’t report harvest numbers, but our view is that the soybean harvest is not that worse than last year, because we had problems at the beginning, in the State of Mato Grosso, but the States of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí and Bahia are having a very good harvest“. (Cargill)
Raiar Orgânicos, an organic egg producer, has concluded a round of fundraising for expansion, receiving US$ 9.65 million. Money obtained via equity fund will be used to expand the company’s chicken farm in Avaré, State of São Paulo, which should house up to 700,000 chickens. (Raiar Orgânicos)
Companhia Mineira de Açúcar e Álcool – CMAA (Sugar and Ethanol Company of the State of Minas Gerais) has announced investments of approximately US$ 670 million until 2033 to expand sugar and ethanol crushing and production capacity. The Company’s annual revenue is expected to reach US$ 770 million by 2025. “We defined a series of investments in our three factories, renewing our commitment to this sector, which is vital for the socioeconomic and sustainable development of Minas Gerais and Brazil”, said Carlos Eduardo Turchetto Santos, CEO of CMAA. (CMAA)
Net revenue from sales of agricultural machinery and implements reached US$ 780 million in March, a drop of 6.6% when compared to the same month in 2023. Regarding the annual variation, the decline was 44.9%, reaching US$ 2.26 billion. 4,509 units were sold in the month, 38.7% less than in March of 2023. (Abimaq)
The Department of Agriculture – SAG has carried out a census on birds to monitor avian influenza in the Biobío region. “In August of last year, Chile was declared free of highly pathogenic avian influenza in birds. This is thanks to the work of SAG, which complied with all the actions, surveillance and deadlines established by the World Organization for Animal Health, but this does not mean that we let our guard down”, said the undersecretary of agriculture, Ignacia Fernández. (Ministry of Agriculture)
Colombia began to restrict imports of US beef and beef products from regions where dairy cows tested positive for avian influenza after April 15th. According to Joe Schuele, spokesman for the US Beef Export Federation, Colombia is the only country that has officially imposed restrictions on US beef exports due to the H5N1 outbreak. (US Meat Export Federation)
Greenland Group announced investments of US$ 3 million in trucks to transport fruit. Furthermore, the group announced that it will expand its activities, and should start producing Tahiti lemon in the department of Caldas, where it should plant 400 hectares. In 2023, the group exported more than 14 million boxes of bananas. (Greenland)
More than 40 tonnes of deforestation-free Rainforest Alliance coffee were exported to the EU. “The National Federation of Coffee Farmers – FNC works to guarantee access to the best coffee in the world to all markets, demonstrating that it is possible to achieve a balance between coffee production and environmental conservation”, said Germán Bahamón, manager of FNC. (FNC)
“We face one of the most shameful levels of land concentration in Latin America”, said the Vice Minister of Rural Development, Lilia Maria Rodriguez. According to Diego Carrero, deputy director of the Agustín Codazzzi Geographic Institute, just 1% of the country’s agricultural properties account for 41% of the rural area. (Ministry of Rural Development; IGAC)
During 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader) rejected the entry into national territory of 1,463 commercial shipments with more than 263 thousand tons of risky agricultural products, thus preventing the entry of 258 pests of quarantine importance that pose a danger to food production in Mexico. (Sader)
In March of 2024, the country’s agricultural and fishing exports maintained its growth trend, reaching US$ 2.4 billion, a growth of 6% when compared to the previous year. There was an increase in exports of fresh strawberries (47%), beef (29.3%), avocado (24.2%), fresh vegetables (14.8%) and peppers (9%). (IGAE)
Corn exports in the 1Q/2024 fell by 34%, reaching 290 thousand tonnes, compared to 442 thousand tonnes in the same period in 2023. (Capeco)
READ MORE: