Sales of Pesticides in Peru Are Expected to Reach US$ 310 Million
Brazil
In compliance with a court decision, Anvisa approves toxicological evaluation of diclosulam technical, from Agroallianz. (Anvisa)
American multinational Itafos has started an expansion process in Brazil, focusing on the Western region of the State of Bahia. The special phosphate fertilizer company from Houston, USA, with a factory located in Arraias, State of Tocantins, will open an office in Luís Eduardo Magalhães, State of Bahia. (Itafos Fertilizantes)
The agronomist Graciela Mognol is the new marketing director at BASF Ag Solutions in Brazil. (BASF)
The Commission on the Amazon and Original and Traditional Peoples of the Chamber of Deputies debated in August 26th the impacts of pesticides on indigenous lands. The debate was requested by congresswoman Célia Xakriabá. The congresswoman commented on the State law that prohibited the aerial spraying of pesticides in Ceará (Law 16820/19). “Known as the Zé Maria do Tomé Law, the rule prohibits the aerial spraying of pesticides throughout the State and sheds light on the risks that pesticides pose to public health, especially to indigenous peoples”. (Agência Câmara de Notícias)
FMC has announced the submission of registration requests of tetflupyrolimet herbicides in eight rice-farming countries, including Brazil, India and the USA. The company said it is also investigating the use of the active ingredient in sugarcane, wheat, soybeans and corn. (FMC Corporation)
The North region of the State of Paraná will have a new nitrogen fertilizer factory, which should cost US$ 540 million. Located in Sapopema, the unit is expected to produce approximately 520 thousand tonnes of fertilizers per year, around 7% of national consumption. “The State of Paraná will have one of the largest nitrogen fertilizer factories in Brazil”, said the State governor, Carlos Ratinho Junior. The Paranafert company will be the manager of the facility. (Government of Paraná)
The 2023/24 cotton harvest faces major challenges in the State of Mato Grosso, worsened by adverse weather conditions and a significant increase in pests. The average infestation by the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) has reached alarming levels. The presence of the insect has almost quadrupled when compared to the previous season. The average reached 8.97 boll weevil insects per trap per week (BAS), compared to 2.15 BAS in 2022/23. This is the worst result since 2012/13. (Fundação MT)
Farmers are preparing to start soybean planting, which begins in September, and are investing in organic products. “To obtain a more profitable crop, with grains produced in a more sustainable way and with a more rational use of nutrients and water, it is essential to use bio-inputs such as inoculants and bioinductors… the choice of a high-performance biological treatment is essential”, says the biological specialist at Indigo Ag., Reinaldo Bonnecarrere. “The growing investment by Brazilian farmers in organic products reflects a shift towards more sustainability”. (Indigo Ag.)
Ajinomoto do Brasil has announced an agreement to acquire renewable ammonia from Yara International. The contract provides for the delivery of more than 600 tonnes of input to the factory in Limeira, State of São Paulo, over the first year. The initiative aims to reduce the company’s carbon footprint and advance its sustainability goals, which include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% and ensuring that 100% of the supply chain is sustainable by 2030. (Ajinomoto do Brasil)
In 2023, Ibama performed 397 environmental evaluation processes for the registration of pesticides, of which 326 were granted normally, 46 were granted through legal action (court decision), 16 processes were archived, and 8 were rejected. From 2019 to 2023, most of the formulated products approved by Ibama contained glyphosate (63 products), glufosinate (61), azoxystrobin (52), sulfentrazone (48), etc. (Ibama)
“We are expanding significantly… in the sugar-ethanol, peanut, corn and soybean sectors”, said Diego Soriano Cavalcante, technical commercial manager at FassAgro. “Sugarcane mills and farmers do not usually have large stocks of liquid fertilizers, so we need to be very efficient so as not to leave the customer without supply”. (FassAgro)
To discuss the new agricultural pesticides law in Brazil, the National Union of the Plant Defense Products Industry will participate in the State of Paraná’s Symposium on Application Technology. The event should take place on September 5th and 6th, in Pinhais, State of Paraná. The meeting will also feature lectures: “The agronomic recommendation as a tool for the correct application of pesticides”, by Manfred Schmid, “The importance of the agronomist in choosing technologies”, by Luis Fernando Gastaldi, “Strategies for reducing drift in applications”, by Karine Alves, “Simplifying tank mixes”, by Dionizio Gazziero, and “Adjusting equipment according to agronomic recommendations”, by Rone Batista de Oliveira. (Sindiveg; AEAPR)
“One of the keys to success today are the pre-emergent herbicides. The farmers who use them never stop using”, said Edson Andrade Júnior, researcher at the Cotton Institute of the State of Mato Grosso, about alternatives to face problems of weed resistance. “Before no-till farming, there was practically a 100% adoption of products incorporated into the soil. Today, we are returning to pre-emergent herbicides at a different time”, said Marcelo Sumya, technical manager at Coamo agricultural cooperative. The experts participated in a videocast promoted by Sumitomo Chemical, with the aim of discussing “the best techniques for clean [no weeds] farming”. (IMAmt; Coamo Cooperativa; Sumitomo Chemical)
Farmers have cautiously begun preparations for the 2024/25 season, amid lower soybean and corn prices, but they are now ordering fertilizers at a faster pace, said the executive director of the National Association for Fertilizer Diffusion, Ricardo Tortorella. “Farmers took a while to make a decision in regard to orders, but they have started placing orders again. We have full warehouses, full ports”. (ANDA)
“We are looking at strategic partnerships or even an IPO (Initial Public Offering). We estimate a lot of growth in the next 7 years”, says Ernani Judice, CEO and founder of Agrion Fertilizantes, which just signed an investment agreement worth US$ 45.43 million with Pegasus Capital Partners. (Agrion Fertilizantes)
According to Cristiano Limberger, Kynetec’s service manager, more than 50% of sugarcane areas in Brazil already use some type of biological product. “Sugarcane has historically already seen the use of macroorganisms, such as Cotesia and Trichogramma. Now, with the expansion of the use of bionematicides, the representation of biologicals in the crop has reached 6% of the total area”. (Kynetec Brasil)
Biotrop invested US$ 18.25 million in units in the State of São Paulo and Paraná, and has tripled its production capacity. The company’s first microorganism multiplication center, in Curitiba, State of Paraná, has received recent investments to achieve a production of 12 million L/year. In São Paulo, fungi are produced in solid media, and the facility has a fermentation capacity of 24 tonnes per week and 2 thousand to 4 thousand tonnes per year. (Biotrop)
Fernando Borba was appointed director of barter, commodities and financial solutions at Corteva. Guilherme Ogata is the new fruit and vegetable portfolio leader at the company. Francisco Gutierrez is the new fungicide portfolio leader for Brazil and Paraguay. Giuliano da Silva Igarashi is the new market access manager for cooperatives. (Corteva Agriscience)
Representatives of fertilizer importing companies in the State of Santa Catarina complain about delays in unloading products at the port of São Francisco do Sul. The problem is happening precisely during the planting period, which could compromise farms and make Santa Catarina’s crops more expensive. Greater agility in fertilizer unloading is demanded by the Santa Catarina Association of Fertilizer Importers, which brings together eight companies responsible for 90% of the fertilizer supply in the State. (ACIA)
Chemical industry reached 63% of installed capacity utilization in the 1H 2024, 3% below the average recorded in the same period of 2023, which is considered below the sector’s average, according to the Brazilian Chemical Industry Association. The most critical situation in terms of installed capacity utilization is occurring with fertilizer intermediates, which reached 58% in the 1H 2024, 9% below 2023. The drop happened due to the hibernation of Unigel’s fertilizer factories. (Abiquim)
Two lots of fertilizers were found unsuitable in Operation “Grandes Massas” carried out by the State of Santa Catarina’s Metrology Institute. Manufacturers were fined for selling products weighing less than what was declared on the packaging. In some cases the difference reached 2 kg. (Imetro-SC)
Enersugar, NovaAmérica and Agrion Fertilizantes have announced an organomineral fertilizer factory. The forecast is to produce 45 thousand tonnes/year of special fertilizers in the first phase of the project, in an integrated manner and using principles of circular economy. (Enersugar)
Brazil Potash, the parent company of Potássio do Brasil, has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to finance pre-operational development expenses, as well as for capital turnover and general corporate purposes. (Brazil Potash)
Latin America
If the PAIS (Tax for an Inclusive and Solidary Argentina) in Argentina falls from 17.5% to 7.5% in September, the price of urea could fall by US$33/tonne and that of monoammonium phosphate by US$57/tonne. The estimate was done by Jeremías Battistoni, grain analyst at AZ-Group, who considered the theoretical parity prices of the products and applied a 10% reduction in the tax. According to Battistoni, in June there was a significant import of urea, reaching 130 thousand tonnes. The total accumulated until June reached 409 thousand tonnes, the second highest volume for the period, behind only 2021. (AZ-Group)
Studies with satellite images indicate non-compliance with aerial application rules in the Matina region, Costa Rica. In the country, the need for a 100 m strip without aerial application between crops and population centers is established by law. This distance can be reduced to 30 m if there is some type of natural barrier, but the precautions are not being followed. “The frequent absence of buffer zones and reported inadequate aerial application practices are concerning as they may contribute to increased occupational and environmental exposure to pesticide drift”. (Iret-UNA)
The use of GMOs and biotechnology are under debate in Bolivia, although there are protests from some sectors in the country. Environmentalists claim that the possible approval of the use of GMOs, such as HB4 soybean and wheat, is “a threat to food sovereignty”. (Pbfcc)
In 2024, sales of agricultural pesticides in Peru are expected to reach approximately US$ 310 million, an estimated increase of 8% to 10% when compared to 2023, according to Cultivida’s executive director, Rubén Carrasco. According to Carrasco, this growth would be driven by exports of agricultural products, which in the 1H 2024 had an increase in value of approximately 12%. (Cultivida)
READ MORE: