Brazil Leads the Global Adoption of Bioinputs
Cancellation of 17 pesticide registration requests in response to the request of the applicant companies, in addition to rejection of 5 registrations. (Official Gazette, Act No. 42 from 09/04/2025, Ministry of Agriculture)
The Agriculture Committee of the Brazilian Lower House of Congress has approved Complementary Bill No. 54/25, which allows for lower taxes for agricultural inputs. The proposal classifies items such as crop protection products, fertilizers and seedlings as essential and indispensable goods, preventing them from being treated as luxury items for tax purposes. The text authorizes the Federal Government to reduce to zero or set up to 30% the rates of the Tax on Industrialized Products levied on these inputs. The Bill still needs to be reviewed by the Finance and Taxation Committee and the Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Committee. It will then be analyzed by the full Lower House of Congress. To become a law, the bill also needs Senate approval. (Agência Câmara de Notícias)
Brazil’s bioinputs market is expanding rapidly, with local production growing 30% per year, more than the global average of 18%, and more than 60% of farmers using biologicals. From 2021/22 to 2023/24, the cultivated area with bioinputs increased by 50%, driven by global demand for sustainable farming practices. On October 9th, Embrapa will hold the 2nd Bioinputs in Agribusiness Forum in the city of São Paulo, to discuss public policies, regulation of the Bioinputs Law, business models, and the role of cooperatives in expanding the market. (Embrapa; FGVAgro; MAPA; McKinsey)
Casa dos Ventos and Mosaic will expand their partnership for the use of renewable energy in the company’s phosphate production in Brazil. Under the agreement, the share of renewable energy in Mosaic’s total electricity consumption in local operations will rise from 30% to 55%. (Casa dos Ventos; The Mosaic Company)
Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, Geraldo Alckmin, said Brazil is in a favorable moment to reduce dependence on imported fertilizers. The statement was made at the opening of the 12th Brazilian Fertilizer Congress in the city of São Paulo. According to the vice president, the federal government has been working to strengthen domestic production. “Through the National Fertilizer Council, President Lula’s government is implementing a set of strategic public and private projects to boost the sector”, he said. (MDIC)
Ministry of Agriculture has authorized Valeria Burmeister Martins, General Coordinator of Bioeconomy and Genetic Resources, and Marcus Vinicius Segurado Coelho, Coordinator of Bioinputs and New Technologies, to travel abroad for agendas related to bioinputs. Valeria will conduct biocontrol training sessions in Trinidad and Tobago from September 11th–20th, while Marcus Vinicius will represent Brazil at the seminar “Agricultural Inputs and Public Policies in Latin America – Innovation, Regulation and Challenges” in Medellín, Colombia, from October 19th–26th. Both missions will be funded by the Internal Bioinputs Plan. (MAPA)
The Regional Environmental Court of Rio Grande do Sul ordered the suspension of the use of the hormonal herbicide 2,4-D for 120 days in the “Campanha” region and in areas near vineyards and apple orchards in the State. The decision complies with a public civil action filed by farmer associations reporting losses caused by drift, which can affect crops up to 30 km away. The State will have 120 days to present a safe monitoring and inspection system. If it fails to do so, there will be a daily fine of US$ 1,850, to be directed to the Fund for the Reconstitution of Damaged Assets. (Regional Environmental Court of Rio Grande do Sul)
2025/26 season begins with unfavorable barter ratios in the fertilizer market. Elevated prices of monoammonium phosphate, combined with weaker soybean prices, have led to the worst ratios on record, requiring up to 30 bags of soybean/metric ton of the input. The scenario-similar to 2022 during the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war has led importers to seek less-concentrated phosphate alternatives as a better cost-benefit option. (StoneX)
The National Association for the Diffusion of Fertilizers reported that in the 1H25, deliveries of fertilizers to the Brazilian market totaled 20.14 million tonnes, an increase of 10.5% over the same period in 2024, when 18.23 million tonnes were recorded. In June, 4.31 million tonnes were delivered, representing growth of 7.2% compared to the same month last year, when it was 4.03 million tonnes. The fertilizer sector remains prepared for the grain crop, which should reach 345.2 million tonnes. The State of Mato Grosso led deliveries in the period, concentrating 23.9% of the total, with 4.81 million tonnes. (ANDA)
Petrobras confirmed it will resume construction of the fertilizer plant in Três Lagoas, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, dividing the project into seven blocks to speed up construction. Bids must be submitted by November and the US$ 800 million project is expected to begin in 2026, with urea production slated to start in 2028. (Petrobras)
Carlos Cogo, from Cogo Inteligência em Agronegócio (Agribusiness Intelligence) consulting firm, highlighted that farm productivity has grown by almost 3% per year for three decades, supported by intensive use of fertilizers. He noted that Russia will continue as Brazil’s main supplier of these inputs, accounting for 30% of imports, and Arab countries, such as Morocco, remain strategic partners. Renata Cardarelli, from Argus Media, warned that Egypt will reduce its fertilizer production this year due to lower natural gas availability. Gustavo Zaitune, CEO of Adufértil, said that despite advances in biofertilizers, mineral fertilizers based on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) remain the driving force of plant nutrition in Brazil. (ANBA)
There is a lack of financing in Brazilian agriculture, according to Eduardo Monteiro, country manager of Mosaic Fertilizantes. He said about 10% of the fertilizers planned for soybean have not yet been sold, with distributors holding inventories while awaiting formal guarantees from farmers. (The Mosaic Company)
Syngenta has appointed Gustavo Ramos as the new head of marketing in Brazil. Since 2024, Ramos had served as commercial director for key accounts in Brazil and, previously, he was the marketing director for the NK Seeds brand in Brazil and Paraguay. (Syngenta)
Boa Safra announced Maurício Pagotto as the director of products and new business. He takes on the role with the mission of strengthening the company’s portfolio, leading strategic projects, and accelerating innovation with a focus on sustainable business growth. (Boa Safra)
The chemical crop protection market, which saw sharp price increases between 2019 and 2021, stabilized between 2022 and 2024. In 2025, however, improved demand and a stronger exchange rate supported new increases. In August, cattle ranchers’ purchasing power relative to 2,4-D products was 9.9 L/per “arroba” (15kg) of finished cattle, versus 10.9 L in the same period of 2024. September marks the start of the most suitable period for applying pasture herbicides, when plant physiological conditions favor management. (Scot Consultoria)
Chemical control of the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri) is advancing in Brazil. The president of the Citrus Consultants Group, Hamilton Rocha, notes that management is now focused on the nymph stage of the greening vector, considered the most critical for disease transmission. The strategy of “breaking the reproductive cycle,” with the combined use of different insecticides at key moments, has increased treatment effectiveness by up to 80%. Despite higher pest pressure, the 2025/26 harvest should reach 314.6 million boxes of oranges (+36%), according to Fundecitrus. “We need to break the insect’s reproduction at decisive moments. One is during flowering, which is happening now, and another in December to January, when there is intense vegetative growth in the or chard”, explains Rocha. (GConci; Fundecitrus)
Straw on top of the soil favors the spread of the sugarcane weevil (Sphenophorus levis). Removal or windrowing can help control the insect. Stubble cutting proved ineffective, reducing yields by up to 4%. The association of insecticides with vinasse emerges as a promising alternative, targeting immature stages of the pest with greater efficiency and sustainability. (Unesp)
Survey by the 2025/26 “State of Santa Catarina Corn Monitoring” Program indicates a controlled infestation of the corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis) in the State. The study, carried out on 50 farms, recorded an average of 5.41 insects per trap, a number considered within expectations for the initial planting period. According to researcher Maria Cristina Canale, the absence of the bacteria that cause red and pale stunt is good news, although the maize stripe virus was detected in samples from the cities of Mafra, Bom Jesus do Oeste and Tunápolis. The recommendation is to start management with chemical insecticides and, whenever possible, complement with bioinputs. (Epagri)
Anvisa published the voluntary withdrawal of toxicological evaluation of 20 Cropchem pesticide ongoing registrations; 3 from UPL and 1 from Nortox. (Official Gazette, Resolution No. 3460 of 09/05/2025, Anvisa)
Mosaic’s global vice president, Jenny Wang, highlighted Brazil leads the global adoption of bioinputs, with an average growth of 22% over the last three years, which is four times the global average. In the 2024/25 season, growth was 13%, driven by inoculants, biofertilizers, and biostimulants. Wang advocated regulatory advances to keep pace with the sector’s technological evolution. (The Mosaic Company)
Expansion of the bioinputs market was the subject of a panel at Expointer, promoted by the State of Rio Grande do Sul’s Agriculture Secretariat. Jackson Brilhante, coordinator of the ABC+RS Plan, highlighted the goal of expanding adoption to 1 million hectares in the State. According to Solon Araújo, from the National Association for the Promotion and Innovation of the Biological Industry, 205 million doses of inoculants were sold in 2024, but Rio Grande do Sul remains the State with the lowest use of soybean inoculants. The biologicals market in Brazil already totals nearly US$ 1.30 billion and should grow with new registrations in crops such as cotton, coffee and irrigated rice. (Seapi/Expointer; Anpii Bio)
The 12th Brazilian Fertilizer Congress, held by the National Association for the Diffusion of Fertilizers in São Paulo, debated challenges for the fertilizer market and for agribusiness. Maicon Cossa, Eurochem’s president in Brazil, highlighted fertilizers as an essential pillar of agricultural production and defended long-term State policies. Economist Sérgio Vale assessed that the US’ tariffs will not be effective, reinforcing China’s bond with partners such as Brazil. Jefferson Souza, Agrinvest Commodities, pointed to farmers’ financial caution and greater use of ammonium sulfate versus urea. Guilherme Campos, Secretary of Agricultural Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, stressed the limits of the Plano Safra (Brazilian Government’s agricultural financing plan) in the face of high interest rates and warned about losses in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. (ANDA)
The Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of the State of Mato Grosso filed to join as Amicus Curiae in the Direct Action of Unconstitutionality filed by the Workers’ Party against State Law No. 12859/2025. The law regulates the use, production, trade, storage, transport, application and inspection of pesticides and related products in the State of Mato Grosso. (Famato)
Research performed in experimental areas in the cities of Caçador and Campo Belo do Sul, in the State of Santa Catarina, shows that physical or chemical weed control in the first years after planting can increase by up to 72% the wood volume per hectare in stands of Pinus taeda. The research compared nine control methods, such as manual weed removal and herbicides applied either across the whole area or only along planting rows. (UFSM; UFRRJ)
For Reginaldo Minaré, director of the Brazilian Association of Bioinputs, the advance of bioinputs could break the pesticide monopoly in soybean production and force the chemical industry to reinvent itself. He says the transition will affect the industry more than farmers, highlighting regenerative agriculture and soil health as the pillars of the new model. (ABBINS)
The use of crop protection products via drones is gaining ground in Brazil, increasing the need for adjuvants to ensure efficiency. According to researcher Marcelo Ferreira, from Unesp, drones provide farmers with independence, access to hard-to-reach areas, and operational flexibility. However, they face challenges such as low spray volumes (around 10 L/ha) and the absence of recirculation systems, making adjuvants essential to maintain mixture stability and improve droplet deposition and retention. The industry is already developing drone-specific products, consolidating this global trend. (Unesp)
In compliance with a court decision, Anvisa approved the toxicological evaluation of saflufenacil 700 g/kg WG, from Rainbow. (Official Gazette, Resolution No. 3463 from 09/05/2025, Anvisa)
Latin America
Researchers from Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico identified native South American parasitoids with high potential for biological control of the South American fruit fly (Anastrepha fraterculus). The experiments were conducted in a laboratory of Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council. According to the authors, adopting native parasitoids in augmentative biological control programs represents an ecologically sustainable alternative. (Conicet)
Brazil hosted, in Foz do Iguaçu, State of Paraná, the meeting of the Technical Working Group on Phytosanitary Intelligence (GT-IF) of the Plant Health Committee of the Southern Cone, which discussed the creation of a Regional Center for Phytosanitary Intelligence. Representatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay participated, reinforcing the need for regional cooperation against phytosanitary threats. (Cosave)
Latin America’s biostimulants market is expected to more than double by 2030, reaching US$ 2.34 billion. Brazil accounts for about 50% of total sales and will remain the region’s growth engine, driven by the National Bioinputs Plan, rapid adoption in broad-acre crops such as soybeans, and the expansion of local manufacturers. Peru and Mexico are advancing due to their export focus, while Chile appears as a more mature market with more moderate growth. (DunhamTrimmer)
Mexico’s government presented a decree banning the import, production, sales and use of 35 pesticides considered highly dangerous. According to Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegué Sacristán, “never in Mexico’s history has there been a prohibition of this magnitude”. (Ikan Consultores)
Residents of Guichón, Uruguay, reported pesticide drift cases near the local Agricultural School and the water plant of OSE, the State-owned company responsible for water supply, less than 50 m from the spray area. The group “Vecinos de Guichón por los Bienes Naturales” met with authorities to demand compliance with land-use rules that set a 500 m buffer for spraying in protected areas. The Ministry of Agriculture is considering reopening the inspection of the case. (MGAP)
In Uruguay, more than 120 participants attended a course in the city of Aiguá about how to control the red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), a pest that threatens ornamental palms, among other plants. The event, organized by the Agriculture Ministry, addressed the pest’s life cycle, safe use of agrochemicals and control methods. (MGAP)
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