US Announced a 21% Tariff on Mexican Tomatoes
Argentina’s Central Bank announced on Tuesday that it has eased access to the foreign exchange market for non-residents in an effort to boost investments. (BCRA)
The grain sector has welcomed the exchange rate changes, although the new measures are unlikely to translate into immediate sales as the harvest remains behind schedule. “Farmers are more focused on the harvest than the exchange rate”, said the market analyst Lorena D’Angelo. (Lorena D’Angelo Consultoria)
Argentina’s next wheat harvest is estimated at 20.5 million metric tonnes, up from 18.6 million tonnes of the previous season, due to favorable weather conditions and lower production costs. (Buenos Aires Grain Exchange)
Argentina has received US$ 12 billion from the IMF. The amount corresponds to the first installment of the most recent agreement with the institution. Aid from the IMF and other organizations to the country has already reached US$ 42 billion. (IMF; Government of Argentina)
Cargill has completed the aquistion of 50% of the shares of SJC Bioenergia, and has taken control of the company. The objective is to increase its participation in the biofuels segment. With the acquisition, SJC Bioenergia will now be named Cargill Bioenergia. (Cargill)
Sugar stocks in the Center-South region were around 70% lower on average in the 1Q compared to the historical average for the period, leading to a shift in sugarcane for sugar production at an above-normal level in the 2H of March. (Safras & Mercado)
State of São Paulo’s agribusiness ended the 1Q2025 with a trade surplus of US$ 4.90 billion. Despite a 19.9% drop when compared to the same period of 2024, the sector has maintained a significant share of the State’s foreign trade. (SP Department of Agriculture)
In the first three months of 2025, areas affected by fire in Brazil reached 912.9 thousand hectares. Compared to the same period of 2024, there was a 70% reduction in the territory affected by fire. Of the total, 78% are native vegetation. (MapBiomas)
The Governor of the State of Mato Grosso, Mauro Mendes, withdrew the request to expropriate farms with illegal deforestation, after pressure from Aprosoja – MT and the productive sector. (Aprosoja – MT; STF)
StoneX reduced its forecast for the 2025/26 wheat harvest in Brazil to 8.6 million tonnes, down 4.2% on the previous projection, due to the smaller planted area, now forecast at 2.8 million hectares. In the State of Paraná, planting fell by 16%, reaching 1.05 million hectares. In the State of Rio Grande do Sul, it fell to 1.25 million hectares. The forecast for imports was revised upwards, reaching 5.9 million tonnes (+3.8% month-on-month) and the export forecast was reduced to 2.16 million tonnes (-6.5%). (StoneX / Deral)
SAG Inspection Post in Puerto Columbo was inaugurated, after an investment of US$ 850 thousand The facility has four docks, a laboratory and modern logistics equipment. It is expected to inspect 30 to 40 containers a day. (SAG Chile)
1.06 million bags (60kg) of washed Arabica coffee were harvested in March, 23% more than in March of 2024. Exports increased 26%, to 1.27 million bags, compared to 1.01 million in March of 2024. (Fedecafé)
138,000 tonnes of Hass avocados were exported in 2024, reaching US$ 309 million, an increase of 21% in volume and 54% in value. The Netherlands was the main destination (39%), followed by the USA (23%), China (10%), the UK (8%) and Spain (7%). The Hass avocado is the country’s second most exported fruit, after bananas. (Colombian Institute of Agriculture)
US announced a 21% tariff on Mexican tomatoes starting on July 14th. The Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum, said the countries will likely resolve the dispute before the tariff is implemented. “This has happened many times before, and Mexico always wins. If this sanction is implemented, Mexican tomatoes will continue to be exported to the US because there is no substitute“. (Government of Mexico; U.S. Department of Commerce)
The US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has demanded an immediate solution to Mexico’s water debt to Texas, threatening tariffs or sanctions. The crisis, which affects citrus farmers, has been going on for years and Mexico owes water from the Rio Grande. (USDA)
The 2024/25 season was affected by the bad weather and falling prices. Héctor Cristaldo, president of the Union of Production Guilds, explained that the last harvest resulted in losses of US$ 600 to US$ 700 million. (UGP)
CAES Piura Cooperative, representing 230 small farmers, started exporting organic peanuts from Peru to France, with the support of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation and the Agromercado platform. (Midagri)
Soybean harvest began on the country’s northern coast with yields varying from 1.5 to 3.5 t/ha, affected by the drought. For the winter, the cultivated area should remain stable, with a reduction for barley, maintenance for wheat and an area increase for rapeseed, which promises better margins. (Copagran)
In 2025, the country registered more than 15 suspected cases of avian influenza, all with negative results. There are no outbreaks in the region, but the country remains on alert due to the high global incidence. (Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries)
Rice harvest exceeded 60% of the 182,000 hectares, with average yields above 9 t/ha and good grain quality, despite delays caused by rain. Prices are uncertain, with an expected drop of up to 35% when compared to the previous year. (Rice Farmers Association / ACA)
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