Crop Protection and Nutrition - Weekly Update Brazil & Latin America (11/07/24 – 11/13/24)

Ministry of Agriculture has published Act No. 52, on 11/06/2024, approving the registration of 74 pesticide products, 10 of which are biological. So far, 368 formulated products were registered in 2024. (MAPA)

According to a survey carried out by the maritime agency Williams Brasil, the import of 8.075 million tonnes of fertilizers was scheduled from November 1st to 11th. Most of it is expected to be unloaded through the port of Santos, State of São Paulo, reaching 2.309 million tonnes. The agency’s report takes into account ships that are already anchored, those offshore awaiting docking, and those scheduled to arrive by January 31st. (Williams Brasil)

The 19th Civil and Environmental Court of Goiânia, State of Goiás, determined on November 8th that Sicoob Ouro Verde must return US$ 860 thousand to AgroGalaxy, which were retained on the day of the company’s bankruptcy protection request, on September 18th. The decision, signed by judge Alessandra Gontijo do Amaral, also prohibits the cutting of electricity and water supply in the company’s units due to debts prior to recovery and orders the release of fertilizers retained by Santa Clara Agrociência. (19ª Vara Cível e Ambiental de Goiânia)

Fallow period for cotton stars after November 10^th in a region encompassing 89 municipalities in the State of Goiás. This is provided for in Normative Instruction No. 04/2019 of the Agricultural Defense Agency of Goiás, which establishes measures for the prevention and control of the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis). Other cotton farming regions in Goiás have already started the fallow period in September, which should end in November. (Agrodefesa)

In the West of the State of Santa Catarina, corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis) samples have indicated the presence of pale stunt spiroplasma. Maize streak virus and maize striate mosaic virus have been detected in the last three weeks. The incidence of the corn leafhopper is still low in the region, partly due to the vegetative stage of the corn crops. Researcher Maria Cristina Canale Rappussi da Silva, from the Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Company of Santa Catarina, says farmers should use chemical control in corn areas, especially considering the increase of other pest populations, such as stink bugs. (Epagri)

According to Fabiano de Bona, researcher at Embrapa Wheat Unit, “there is no short-term solution to Brazilian agriculture’s dependence on fertilizer imports. We need government policies for the sustainable exploration of potassium and phosphorus deposits… and we need incentives for the local nitrogen fertilizer industry”. (Embrapa Trigo)

From January to September of 2024, Brazil recorded a 10.9% increase in the areas treated with pesticides when compared to the same period in 2023, totaling more than 1 billion hectares. The volume of pesticides used to control pests, diseases and weeds grew 10.3% when compared to the same period of 2023. This amount is for herbicides (45%), insecticides (26%), fungicides (20%), seed treatment (1%) and others (9%). The numbers are the results of a research commissioned by the National Union of the Plant Defense Products Industry for Kynetec Brasil. (Sindiveg)

On November 6^th, representatives from the agricultural sector, from the industry, as well as congressmen, met at the HQ of the Soybean Farmers Association – Aprosoja Brasil, at the capital city of Brasília, to discuss sustainable agriculture with an emphasis on bioinputs. According to the executive director of Aprosoja, Fabrício Rosa, there are three business models for bioinputs: off-the-shelf products, fertilizers and inoculants, and the equipment industry that sells inputs for the farmer to carry out “on farm” production. (Aprosoja Brasil)

CropLife points out bottlenecks and calls for a regulatory framework for the bioinputs market. A study performed together with FGV indicates strong growth for the sector, but points out that legal uncertainty is an obstacle. The bioinputs market has grown at an average of 21% per year in the past three seasons, reaching US$ 880 million in 2023/24. (CropLife Brasil)

H.I.G. Capital concluded the acquisition of a majority of shares of Life Agro, a company focused on specialty agricultural inputs. Matias Ezequiel Tiecher, founder and CEO of Life Agro, will still maintain a significant shareholding and will remain in his position as CEO. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Life Agro, headquartered in Chapecó, State of Santa Catarina, has a strong presence in the South and Central-West regions. (H.I.G Capital)

Koppert’s Brazilian subsidiary has issued its first ESG Rural Product Certificate operation with Itaú BBA. The company did not disclose the amount of the transaction, but stated the funds will be used to increase the company’s share in the biopesticides market. (Koppert)

The Agricultural Defense Agency of the State of Goiás will hold, from November 19^th to 22^nd, a technical workshop for citrus farmers. The objective is to provide guidance on the implementation of orchards, on crop nutrition and on the main phytosanitary problems for citrus, as well as qualifying professionals to issue certificates on the absence of quarantine pests. (Agrodefesa)

For the vice-president of the Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Committee in the Senate, senator Jaime Bagattoli, the 10% increase in fertilizer imports in 2024, verified by the National Supply Company, is a reason for concern. “Today, Brazilian agribusiness is the largest in the world, but it depends on the import of fertilizers. This is a contradiction, since we have large reserves of potassium, iron and urea. Brazil is a leader in the export of several agricultural products, but this leadership may be threatened, since our main suppliers are at war”, said Bagattoli. (CRA)

National Association for Fertilizer Diffusion has disclosed fertilizer deliveries to the market in August 2024 reached 5.13 million tonnes, a reduction of 7% when compared to August of 2023. From January to August, deliveries reached 28.03 million tonnes, a drop of 2% when compared to 2023. State of Mato Grosso had the largest volume (21.2%) during the first eight months of 2024, reaching 5.95 million tonnes. (ANDA)

Agricultural Parliamentary Front – FPA wants to “resolve a conflict of legislation that, through Decree No. 6913/2009, only allows the on-farm production of bioinputs until December of 2024”. For FPA representatives, it is necessary to approve a new Bioinputs Law, or to overturn the presidential veto No. 65 of the Self-Control Law. Otherwise, after January 2025, “on farm production will be illegal, affecting a large proportion of small farmers and organic farmers. The infraction will be punished with a sentence of 3 to 9 years in prison and a fine”. (FPA)

The New Pesticides Law hinders the production of bioinputs, according to associations, which indicate that the law takes away from farmers the guaranteed right to produce bioinputs for their own use [on-farm production], without the need for registration. “What creates impeding difficulties for the production of bioinputs for on-farm use is not Decree 6913, from 2009, but Law 14785, from 2023, known as the New Pesticides Law”, according to the Brazilian Bioinputs Association and the Associated Group for Sustainable Agriculture. “The overturning of the veto on article No. 24 of the Self-Control Law and the approval of a Bioinputs Bill that… corrects the errors related to bioinputs contained in the New Pesticides Law, by the end of 2024, is essential so that thousands of farmers are not harmed”. (Gaas; Abbins)

The possible withdrawal of tax incentives and tax exemptions for the pesticides market could generate additional costs of US$ 3.6 billion per year for Brazilian farmers, according to data presented by the Ministry of Agriculture. (MAPA)

Potential area treated with bioinputs, considering the number of applications of biological products in the same area, should reach 155.4 million hectares in the 2024/25 season. This projection represents an increase of 13% when compared to the 2023/24 season and of 22% when compared to 2022/23. The data was released during the Bioinsumos Brasil Forum, held by CropLife in the capital city of Brasília. (CropLife Brasil)

Urea imports increased 24.9% from September to August. There was a 3.8% increase in prices, with a year-on-year decline as well as a drop in relation to the price charged in the same period of the previous year. Ammonia also showed an increase of 5.7% in the monthly variation, with a decrease in the annual variation (-2.6%). Diammonium phosphate (DAP) showed growth of 0.6% in the monthly variation and 3.7% in the annual variation. (MDIC)

According to the International Center for Economic Analysis and Agricultural Market Studies, soybean Asian rust has been already detected in the Northwest of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. Data from the “Programa Monitora Ferrugem RS” (Rio Grande do Sul Rust Monitoring program), which uses 74 collectors in different areas of the State, show the first outbreaks of the disease, which can reduce soybean yields by up to 90%. (Ceema)

Wheat blast and Fusarium head blight diseases, due to the frequent rains, have compromised the quality standard of the wheat being harvested in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, reducing the hectoliter weight (PH) and the quality of the grains used for breadmaking. (Emater/RS-Ascar)

The Agricultural Defense Agency of the State of Paraná – Adapar carried out a task force in the Umuarama region from November 4^th to 8^th. Focused on raising awareness, monitoring and reinforcing greening prevention and control measures, the work will also extend to the municipalities of Altônia, Cruzeiro do Oeste, Maria Helena, Iporã, São Jorge do Patrocínio, Perobal, Cafezal do Sul, in Parana State. An update of the citrus farms on Adapar’s system will also be performed. (Adapar)

According to a statement released by Agrogalaxy last week, the company’s teams continue to accompany customers in regions where the company’s stores were closed, which will happen until the moment of harvest and receipt of inputs. “In the other regions nothing changes, we will continue distributing products to medium and small customers, providing consultative support”. (Agrogalaxy)

Professor Marcelo Giovanetti Canteri, from the State University of Londrina, coordinates a project focused on the use of AI in monitoring and controlling soybean Asian rust, caused by the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi. Monitoring tests for the 2023/24 harvest have analyzed the climate and the pathogen. For 2024/25, planting monitoring should also be carried out. With the use of artificial intelligence, the presence of the fungus is monitored remotely, allowing for a more agile and accurate analysis. (UEL)

From October 30^th to November 1^st, researchers from the National Institute of Industrial Property participated in the “Programa Conhecendo a Indústria” (Knowing the Industry Program), promoted by the National Confederation of Industry. The researchers, who work on examining patent applications and preparing technical studies, visited factories specializing in biopharmaceuticals, production of generic drugs, and production of agrochemicals. (INPI)

The legal director of the Federation of Rice Farmers’ Associations of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Anderson Belloli, took part in a public hearing on November 5^th at the Federal Supreme Court of Brazil about the Direct Unconstitutionality Action that seeks to review taxation on pesticides. “This is not a simple debate and cannot be treated superficially. We are talking about inputs that guarantee the competitiveness of our agricultural production in the international market”, said Belloli. According to the director, the use of agrochemicals in rice follows strict inspection standards, going through environmental licensing processes. “In rice farming, we have total compliance regarding the proper use of agrochemicals, not only regarding the quantities, but also regarding the proper use indicated for the crop”. (Federarroz)

The first lot of low-carbon green fertilizers from Yara was delivered to the Guaxupé Coffee Growers Cooperative – Cooxupé, the result of a partnership agreement signed in 2022. “Delivering solutions towards climate neutrality is a global strategy for Yara”, says Marcelo Altieri, president of the company in Brazil. (Yara Brasil; Cooxupé)

Webinar on “Innovation in pesticide analysis: the use of infrared spectroscopy” will be held on November 19^th, with the participation of federal agricultural inspector Marcelo Bressan, head of the Input and Plant Health Inspection Service at the Ministry of Agriculture’s Superintendency in the State of Paraná. The webinar is organized by the Instituto de Inteligência Regulatório (Regulatory Intelligence Institute), with support from Abifina, Aenda, Sindiveg, CropLife Brasil. (Sitrar; Aenda; Abifina)

Weed control in corn farms has become more difficult with the use of traditional herbicides, such as glyphosate and atrazine, due to the development of resistance. According to Ihara’s agronomist and regional marketing manager, Valdumiro Garcia, for a corn yield of 100 bags/ha, a loss of approximately 10% occurs due to weed competition, on average. The most important resistant weeds are Euphorbia heterophylla, Eleusine indica, Digitaria insularis, etc. Combining pre-emergent herbicides, which prevent the germination of weed seeds, with post-emergent ones, allows for more effective weed control. (Ihara)

Marcio Frez is the new Chief Commercial Officer at Valence Química, a company focused on plant nutrition, physiology and protection. (Valence Química)