Crop Protection and Nutrition - Weekly Update Brazil & Latin America (10/10/24 – 10/16/24)

Anvisa publishes pesticide evaluation withdrawal requests for amicarbazone technical, propiconazole technical (Adama); trifloxystrobin technical  (Biorisk); ethiprole technical (Cropchem); Trichoderma asperellum, Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassiana (Gânica); Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Priestia megaterium, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus thuringiensis (Solubio). (Anvisa)

Federal Regional Court of the 3^rd Region has recognized the right of the Tey Jusu indigenous community, located in Caarapó, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, to be compensated for damages resulting from aerial spraying of pesticides on corn, which was carried out in violation of environmental standards and affected homes in the region. The farm owner, responsible for contracting the service, the contracted company and the pilot responsible for the irregular application were ordered to pay US$ 30.18 thousand to the indigenous community to repair the environmental damage and US$ 8.88 thousand for “collective moral damages”. (TRF 3)

Potassium chloride transport at the Port of Rio Grande, State of Rio Grande do Sul, increased 2.34% in the first 10 months of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, reaching 1.27 million tonnes. (Portos RS)

Ibama has approved 20 pesticide environmental evaluations in compliance with court decisions (until October 11^th), and 204 evaluations of formulated products. (Ibama)

Bayer estimates the adoption of its newest product for soybean in the country, the Intacta2 Xtend variety, could double in the 2024/25 season when compared to the previous season. The 3^rd generation of soybean biotechnology could reach almost 30% of the entire planted area in Brazil in 2024/25, according to the leader of regulatory affairs for Latin America, Geraldo Berger. (Bayer Crop Science)

Focused on the expanding cotton lint market, Syngenta has used Cropwise, its monitoring platform, during the 2023/24 season to monitor 54% of cotton planting areas, which totaled 1.9 million hectares. (Syngenta)

The Association of Fertilizer Mixers of Brazil is against the change in import tariffs for ammonium nitrate. “The current demand for a possible change in the import taxes for Ammonium Nitrate, a raw material used for the production of nitrogen fertilizers… is a major setback and will increase the cost of fertilizers”. (AMA Brasil)

YPF Brasil launched a product line of adjuvants for agricultural spraying. According to Pablo Luchetta, director of the company, the adjuvants are manufactured with refined mineral oil and contain surfactants of vegetable origin that help in the spraying of pesticides, optimizing absorption by plants and reducing losses. (YPF Brasil)

Agrex do Brasil, from Mitsubishi Corp., announced investments of approximately US$ 125.42 million in Brazil. This will be the company’s largest investment since the acquisition of Los Grobo in 2013. “In our long-term objective, Brazil will become increasingly important, because it has a high potential to expand production”, said Yoshihiro Enosawa, president and CEO of the company. (Agrex do Brasil)

Farmers must pay extra attention to the presence of corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis) in the initial stages of the plant. “It is important, in infested areas, that the first spraying should occur shortly after plant emergence and the second, before the plants reach the stage of three expanded leaves (V3), with intervals of up to 10 days between sprays”, according to Lenisson Carvalho, marketing manager at Ourofino Agrociência. “Seed treatment has proven to be a powerful tool during initial control management, contributing to the protection and to the initial development of plants”. (Ourofino Agrociência)

National Association of Agricultural and Veterinary Input Distributors has just signed a technical cooperation agreement with the Agricultural and Forestry Defense Institute of the State of Espírito Santo – IDAF. According to the general director of IDAF, Leonardo Monteiro, the objective of the agreement is to increase publicity about the Institute’s activities in relation to the inspection of pesticides. (Andav; IDAF)

Fertilizer Purchasing Power Index for September has closed at 1.05, down 5% when compared to August. The moment is considered favorable for purchasing fertilizers, since the lower the indicator, the better the exchange ratio is for farmers. During the period, there was an average increase in commodities of around 1.1%. (The Mosaic Company)

Simbiose has launched a relationship program with its main distributors. The objective is to reinforce partnerships and boost sales, according to Derik Chamberlain, the company’s commercial director. The initiative adds to efforts to expand production capacity, such as the implementation of an investment plan at the plant in Cruz Alta, State of Rio Grande do Sul, which involves investments of US$ 51.13 million to triple production by 2025. (Simbiose)

Susana Martins Carvalho is the new country manager for Brazil at Bioceres, responsible for the operations of Rizobacter do Brasil and ProFarm do Brasil. (Bioceres Crop Solutions)

The Brazilian Association of Bioinputs and the Associated Group for Sustainable Agriculture released a note in which they disagree with statements made by Embrapa Soja researcher, Mariângela Hungria, regarding the on-farm production of bioinputs. She mentioned that analyzes of biological products produced by the farmers themselves have been carried out for five years and that the results are, in general, unsatisfactory. “I can say that to date we have not even found an ‘on farm’ product that does not have a problem, be it contamination, low concentration of cells”, said Hungria. “We at ABBINS and GAAS defend the farmers’ right to continue producing bioinputs for their own use with safety and quality, as they have done since 2009, supported by Brazilian legislation”, according to a note from the Associations. (ABBINS; GAAS)

EuroChem’s growth plans involve a project expansion in Serra do Salitre, State of Minas Gerais. The objective is to produce approximately 400 thousand tonnes of fertilizantes in 2024, and reach a maximum capacity of 1 million tonnes in 2025. “We are already producing at an industrial level, since our inauguration, selling fertilizers, sulfuric acid and now gradually increasing production”, said Gustavo Horbach, CEO of the company in Brazil. The multinational is investing US$ 32.85 million to expand storage capacity at its units in the North, Northeast and South regions of Brazil. (EuroChem Brasil)

Daniel Lopes is the new marketing director at Yara Brasil, and must deal with the areas of pricing, commercial incentives, market intelligence and access, customer experience, etc. (Yara Brasil)

Small and medium-sized farmers in the cities of Palmas and Miracema, State of Tocantins, have benefited from the Itinerant Receiving Project for empty pesticide packages. 1,309 pesticide packages and 300 kg of secondary packaging were returned, directly benefiting 27 farmers. (Adapec)

In order to prevent the introduction of a quarantine pest, Adapar has installed 42 traps with pheromones in orchards and strategic locations to monitor Cydia pomonella, the codling moth. The pest was eradicated in Brazil in 2014. “There are 20 traps in apple orchards, 16 in large wholesalers and importers of host fruits and 6 in urban areas, from October to March”, according to Paulo Jorge Pazin Marques, head of the Fruit Health Division. (Adapar)

Institute of Technology of the State of Paraná – Tecpar carries out tests that evaluate levels of pesticide residues in food. The institute is also accredited by the Ministry of Agriculture to evaluate the quality of fertilizers in agricultural products in Brazil. “Anvisa establishes that food must contain levels of pesticides within the Maximum Residue Limits (MRL), which is the acceptable residue limit. Currently, Tecpar’s laboratories can identify more than 700 active pesticide ingredients in agricultural products”, highlights Daniele Adão, manager of Tecpar’s Health and Environmental Technology Center. (Tecpar)

Agricultural inspectors visited 148 farms in the State of Rio Grande do Sul in 2024 with the aim of guiding farmers and applicators of hormonal herbicides and to inspect pesticide sprayers. According to the state agricultural inspector, Juliano Ritter, the work is extremely important, given the risks involving the inadequate application of hormonal herbicides for sensitive crops. (Seapi-RS)

The leafhopper (Mahanarva fimbriolata) has become a growing concern for sugarcane farmers. The pest causes direct damage to plants and is a vector of the leaf scald disease. According to the researcher at the Sugarcane Center of the Agronomic Institute, Leila Dinardo-Miranda, chemical insecticides continue to play a crucial role in controlling the leafhopper. “Products with different modes of action are essential for resistance management. When one of these molecules acts on insect eggs, it can reduce the population not only for the current season, but also for the next”. (Ihara; IAC-APTA)

In 2024, the Brazilian fertilizer market showed a behavior aligned with what is expected for the sector, according to a report from StoneX. “There were, of course, peculiarities, such as the unusual rigidity in monoammonium phosphate (MAP) prices… the volatility of urea…”, according to Tomás Pernías, the company’s market intelligence analyst. “Sudden price changes and unexpected increases in production costs, such as those seen in 2022, during the Russian-Ukrainian war, seem to be part of the past”. (StoneX Consultoria)

Approximately 65% of the total volume of inputs transported by Rumo’s railway is destined for farms located in the State of Mato Grosso. The company aims to expand Ferronorte through the construction of a new railway line. There will be 743 km of railway, integrating the state into the Federal railway network. Initially budgeted at between US$ 1.61 billion and US$ 1.97 billion, the line should be completed by 2030. (Rumo Logística)

Sugar and fertilizers transport in Brazilian ports has reached a record for August, reaching 4 million tonnes and 4.65 million tonnes, respectively. Compared to the same period last year, sugar transport grew by 33.19% in August of 2024 and fertilizer transport increased by 28.97% in the month. (ANTAQ)

Carlos Eduardo Val is the new commercial director of Adufértil at Indorama Brasil. (Indorama Corporation Brasil)

Agroallianz seeks to consolidate itself as one of the main players of the agrochemical market in Brazil. Even during a time of financial difficulties for agriculture, such as the cases of bankruptcy protection (similar to USA’s chapter 11) processes for distribution channels and delays on the part of suppliers, the revenue for the company was higher than estimated. The company plans to reach 44 products in its portfolio by 2028 and estimates an annual revenue of US$ 100 million in Brazil by 2026. (Agroallianz)

In the first nine months of 2024, 6.5 tonnes of illegal pesticides were seized on federal highways in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, a reduction of 54% when compared to 2023, when 14.2 tonnes were seized. In 2022, Rio Grande do Sul reached a record of product seizures on the roads, jumping from 5.3 tonnes in 2021, to 51.2 tonnes. (Federal Highway Police)

Agricultural Fertilizer and Correctives Industry Union from the State of Paraná have announced the 18^th edition of the Sindiadubos NPK Symposium, which will take place on October 24^th, at the Events Center of the Federation of Industries of Paraná, in Curitiba. The event brings together importers, manufacturers, fertilizer distributors, additive manufacturers, input suppliers, etc. (Sindiadubos)

Terraplant foresees growth in fertilizer sales to meet the challenges of the 2024/25 soybean season. In the State of Rio Grande do Sul, the 4^th largest soybean producer in Brazil, intense rains washed nutrients from the soil, making it more acidic. Another point of attention were the fires that spread across Brazilian crops. “The fires in Brazil cause devastation to soil biodiversity, altering the pH and resulting in significant loss of organic matter. In the case of Rio Grande do Sul, the soil was eroded by rain, removing not only nutrients, but, in some cases, the soil’s arable layer. Therefore, the farmers need to restart the fertilization process”, explains Alex Becker, the company’s soil specialist. (Terraplant)

Fertilizer imports in the first four months of 2024 totaled 10 million tonnes, a reduction of 8% compared to the same period of the previous year. This lower volume can be attributed to high remaining stocks from 2023. With an initial stock of 8.7 million tonnes, imports were expected to be lower compared to the previous year. “The forecast is that fertilizer imports in 2024 will be 1% lower than those in 2023, totaling 39 million tonnes”, said Lucas Brunetti, analyst at Consultoria Agro at Itaú BBA. (Itaú BBA)

State of Goiás Agricultural Defense Agency has warned farmers about the need to eliminate volunteer corn, considered a channel for the proliferation of pests and diseases. The main concern involves the corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis), responsible for transmitting pale and red stunt diseases. (Agrodefesa)

The State of Minas Gerais can play a predominant role in reducing Brazil’s dependence on fertilizers, according to the president of the National Union of the Fertilizer Raw Materials Industry, Bernardo Silva. “Minas Gerais has the capacity to attract investments and build technologies”, said Silva. Minas Gerais is the main player in phosphate mining and has the largest reserves of the input in Brazil. “Not only for mining, but also for the chemical side… they have a large production of potassium and there are nitrogen projects being announced”. (Sinprifert)