Crop Protection and Nutrition - Weekly Update Brazil & Latin America (10/24/24 – 10/30/24)

Rainbow’s request to recover US$ 5.58 million in products delivered to Agrogalaxy was denied by the judge in charge of the bankruptcy protection case, Alessandra Gontijo do Amaral, of the 19^th Civil and Environmental Court of Goiânia, State of Goiás. Rainbow argued the deliveries of the products were after an addendum to a debt confession of US$ 19.24, which was to be paid in four installments of US$ 4.81 million. The agreement also included guarantees, such as endorsements of bonds worth US$ 6.03 million and corn sales contracts, which are commitments that guarantee the fulfillment of financial obligations. The judge, however, understood that Rainbow’s request attempted to circumvent the effects of the bankruptcy protection, which is not permitted by law. (19^th Civil and Environmental Court of Goiânia)

Anvisa publishes withdrawal request of toxicological evaluation of technical propanil from Adama. (Anvisa)

According to XP Investimentos, Petrobras’ decision to resume investments in its fertilizer plant in the Três Lagoas, State of Mato Grosso, “is controversial due to its lower returns relative to Petrobras’ exploration and production portfolio, as well as its history of poor execution … Even if the project has a positive net present value (NPV), investing in fertilizers is not the best use of Petrobras’ focus and resources“. (XP Investimentos)

Military Police of the State of Paraná seized US$ 17.35 thousand worth of smuggled pesticides during an operation on the highway PR-323, in the city of Cruzeiro do Oeste. The smuggled cargo had 300 kg of products. (PMPR)

Study indicates challenges to soil fertility after floods in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. Researchers have collected soil samples from a citrus grove in Vale do Caí, State of Rio Grande do Sul. Results have indicated loss of the topsoil, with very low levels of organic matter. “Measures that promote an increase in these levels should be recommended in recovery actions, since the fertility of Rio Grande do Sul’s soils is highly dependent on organic matter”, said Amanda Martins, a professor of soil fertility at the Federal University of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. “Acidity and a lack of calcium and magnesium were not problems observed in any of the situations presented in this study, nor was the case for the micronutrients manganese, copper and zinc”, said Tales Tiecher, a professor of soil chemistry at the same institution. (UFRGS; Seapi; Emater-RS)

Ministry of Agriculture has published Act No. 49, from October 21st, 2024, approving registrations of 12 equivalent technical products. (MAPA)

B4A, a startup from Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, is specialized in soil diagnostics with focus on microbiology and offers soil microbiota mapping through the DNA of microorganisms. The project has just received an investment of US$ 525.01 thousand led by Rural Ventures, together with Bossa Invest and Setter Tech. “Commercial biological products or even those developed inside the farms [on farm production] are essential for the transition from conventional to regenerative agriculture. However, they are being used without prior diagnosis, which makes them ineffective in many cases. B4A’s role is to support farmers and agronomists in adopting the correct treatments, to avoid wasting time and money on ineffective inputs and anticipating soil correction and its productive capacity”, according to Leonardo Gomes, the company’s CEO. (B4A)

In compliance with a court decision, Anvisa approves the toxicological evaluation of triclopyr-butyl from Biorisk. (Anvisa)

According to the president of Aprosoja at the State of Mato Grosso, Lucas Beber, the instability in fertilizer prices is directly impacting farmers’ budgets and influencing their planting decisions. In the case of nitrogen fertilizers, the unfavorable exchange rate with corn, combined with the delay in soybean planting, has led farmers to delay purchases. This caution is justified by the high costs, the uncertain international scenario and the slower pace of planting. “The war in the Middle East has created difficulties, since countries such as Iran and Israel are nitrogen exporters, and Brazil depends on significant imports of this input for corn production”, according to Beber. (Aprosoja MT)

Ministry of Agriculture has published Act No. 48, from October 16^th, 2024, with 28 import authorizations, 14 cancellations of registration requests, etc. (MAPA)

Cras Agro and Syngenta have signed an agreement for peanut seed treatment. The partnership aims to offer seeds with a higher standard of quality through the use of fungicides, insecticides, rooting agents and graphite. The seed treatment includes varieties from the Agronomic Institute of Campinas and Embrapa. “This is a crucial strategy for extracting the maximum productive potential from peanut crops”, according to Syngenta. (Cras Brasil; Syngenta)

With only 10 incidents recorded, robbery and theft rates of agricultural inputs in the State of Mato Grosso had a reduction of 55% from January to September of 2024, compared to the same period of 2023, with 22 robberies registered. Regarding thefts, there were 40 occurrences in 2023, compared to 25 in 2024 (-38%). Of the total, 57% of the thefts and robberies involved agricultural pesticides, 40% to fertilizers, and 3% were not specified. (Sesp – MT)

International Meeting on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), organized by the International PPE Quality Consortium, put together researchers from 16 countries. The event is “essential in the creation of safety solutions and in the evaluation of protective clothing for rural workers” according to the Agronomic Institute. (IAC)

Research reveals that 66% of Brazilian farmers use bioinputs, while 31%, especially livestock farmers, have not yet adopted them, mainly due to issues with price, lack of information and perceived effectiveness. (FIESP)

Programa Monitora Ferrugem RS (Rust Monitoring Program of the State of Rio Grande do Sul) has been launched for the 2024/25 season, with the installation of 74 collectors in soybean throughout the State. The program aims to prevent and control Asian rust by providing data on a weekly basis on the occurrence of fungal spores, allowing farmers to monitor areas at a higher risk. “It is important that farmers adopt correct management practices and participate in programs like this, which provide the necessary information for the correct application of phytosanitary products”, said Elder dal Prá, rural extension agent at the Rural Extension and Technical Assistance Company of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. (Seapi-RS)

Congressmen are demanding the government to expedite the announcement of measures to reduce the price of natural gas and make domestic production of nitrogen fertilizers viable. More than 87% of fertilizers used in agriculture are imported, at a cost of US$ 25 billion/year, making Brazil the world’s largest importer of the input. Bill No. 4338/23 proposes an economic subsidy of up to US$ 294.39 million to make natural gas cheaper, and Petrobras also plans to reactivate plants to meet up to 35% of domestic demand. (MDIC; Chamber of Deputies)

Casa dos Ventos and Atlas Agro have signed a partnership to produce green fertilizers in Brazil. The new plant will use approximately 300 MW average of renewable energy from Casa dos Ventos to manufacture green ammonium nitrate, a more sustainable input. (Casa dos Ventos)

Brazil should reach a fertilizer import record in 2024, due to the increase in planted area. From January to October 15th, 35 million tonnes were purchased, with the expectation of exceeding 40.9 million tonnes in 2023. The Mines and Energy Committee of the Lower House of Congress approved Bill No. 699/23, which aims to establish the Fertilizer Industry Development Program to reduce production costs amid tensions in the Middle East. (Comex/Stat)