Crop Protection and Nutrition - Weekly Update Brazil & Latin America (05/23/24 – 05/29/24)

Agricultural Adjuvants Market Reached at Least US$ 560 Million in Brazil

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Brazil

Ordinance No. 1119, from 05/20/2024, of the Ministry of Agriculture, has established the National Program for Prevention and Control of the weed Amaranthus palmeri. So far, the weed is considered officially present in eight cities of the State of Mato Grosso and in two of Mato Grosso do Sul. (MAPA)

Anvisa approves the toxicological evaluation of a new technical product – with active ingredient not yet registered in Brazil – fluoxapiprolin, from Bayer. (Anvisa)

The Environment and Sustainable Development Committee of the Chamber of Deputies (Brazilian Lower House of Congress) has debated on May 27^th, the benefits and impacts of the local production of nitrogen fertilizers. The debate was requested by Congresswoman Socorro Neri, who argues that Brazil has faced challenges in agriculture due to its dependence on imported fertilizers. “Conventional production of fertilizers involves processes that generate high carbon emissions, which pose threats to the environment and public health”, said Neri. “But the use of low-carbon hydrogen…offers a promising alternative, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions”. (Agência Câmara de Notícias)

Federal agricultural inspectors have accepted a restructuring proposal and ended their worker strike. In an assembly on May 22^nd, 68.5% of federal agricultural inspectors accepted the proposal made by the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services. One of their complaints involves the “Self-Control Law”, a measure that aims to transfer the responsibility for inspections of animal and plant origin products to technicians hired by the industry. (Anffa Sindical)

During the launch of a new mining unit managed by fertilizer company Galvani, on May 24^th, the president of  Companhia Baiana de Pesquisa Mineral (Mineral Research Company from the State of Bahia), Henrique Carballal, said that Bahia will become independent from the import of phosphate fertilizers. “We are laying the foundation so that, by December of 2025, the State of Bahia will become independent from the import of phosphate-based fertilizers… we will produce 25% of all the fertilizers needed by the North and Northeast of Brazil”, said Carballal. (CBPM)

Douglas Pelegrini Vaz-Tostes is the new director of R&D Brazil at the fertilizer company Verde Agritech. (Verde Agritech)

Sindiveg has launched a free cell phone app that allows users to see when and where pesticide spraying will occur. The initiative aims to help beekeepers to adopt protective measures, such as removing or isolating hives during spraying, minimizing exposure risks. (Sindiveg)

Ministry of Agriculture published, on May 28th, the Act No. 23 of deliberations in the area of pesticide post-registration, with 8 cancellations of registration requests, 35 import authorizations, etc. (MAPA)

Futureco Bioscience, a bioinputs manufacturer from Spain, announced the opening of a subsidiary in Brazil. It will be led by Eric Massarico, director of development. “Brazil stands out as one of the main global markets for biological products, being recognized for its high competition and constant demand”, said María Cupeiro, director of business development and marketing. (Futureco Bioscience)

For the farmers in the State of Mato Grosso, monoammonium phosphate (MAP) is still 91% more expensive than before the pandemic. All fertilizers are, on average, 53% more expensive compared to pre-pandemic levels. In the case of NPK, the price is 61% higher. Potassium chloride (KCl) showed a 22% increase. Main fertilizer suppliers for Mato Grosso are Russia, which represents 23.3% of imports, followed by Canada, 23.12%, and China, 13%. (Aprosoja – MT)

Minister Alexandre Silveira, of Mines and Energy, said that Petrobras’ gas, fertilizers and oil refining areas will be some of the “main obligations” of the new president of the State-owned company, Magda Chambriard, after taking office. (MME)

Microgeo, a Brazilian biological soil management company, announced Walmor Fonseca Roim as new product management leader. The position was created in 2024 after organizational restructuring. (Microgeo)

Agricultural adjuvants market reached at least US$ 560 million in 2023 in Brazil, which represented a 4x increase since 2015, when the market was worth US$ 141.86 million. According to Kynetec, soybean farmers led the demand, with US$ 310 million, or 56% of the total. Corn comes in second place, with 18%, or US$ 100.89 million. Data comes from a market study that evaluated 20 crops. The Central-West region represented 41% of adjuvant purchases in 2023. (Kynetec Brasil)

Ministry of Agriculture has published 68 pesticide registration requests, being 66 equivalent technical products, 1 pre-mix, and 1 technical product. (MAPA)

Vinicius Faião is the new director of soybean licensing at Bayer. (Bayer)

The Federal Senate’s Economic Affairs Committee approved a public hearing to discuss a project that bans the aerial spraying of pesticides in drought areas. (Agência Senado)

Marcos Vinicius Oliveira is the new commercial director at PrimaSea, a company specialized in plant and animal nutrition. (PrimaSea)

The Brazilian Institute for Consumer Protection released research that indicates the presence of pesticides in highly-processed foods. The test that was carried out is capable of detecting residues of up to 563 different pesticides. Eight product categories were analyzed, such as instant noodles, cornstarch biscuits, etc., covering 24 food items. Of the total, 12 items showed pesticide residues. Food products in the “cornstarch biscuit” category presented the highest number of residues. Glyphosate was the pesticide that appeared most. (IDEC)

According to Jeferson Souza, market analyst at Agrinvest Commodities, the purchase of fertilizers for the 2024/25 soybean season have exceeded those of the 2023/24 season so far, but the purchase of seeds and pesticides remains lower. “The product responsible for this number is KCl [potassium chloride]. Looking at the exchange ratio graph, we realized that we had and still have a very favorable environment for negotiations. Now, when we think about phosphate… we still see delays”, said Souza. “I have noticed that input product packages for the 2024/25 season are more attractive than those sold in 2023 for the 2023/24 season, considering the combination of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides”. (Agrinvest Commodities)

Ministry of Agriculture inspected companies in the State of São Paulo denounced through the Federal Government’s “Fala BR” platform, accused of manufacturing and/or selling fertilizers in violation of legislation. Operations took place in the cities of Campinas, Mauá, Cotia and Suzano. In Mauá, for example, 97 bags of 25 kg of substrates and soil conditioners with labels that did not comply with legislation were seized in a store. In Cotia, the Ministry only found a vacant lot in the location where a company that sells unregistered fertilizers via the internet was supposed to operate. (MAPA)

Junior Marchiori is beginning a new position as director at Grupo Sinova, an agricultural input distribution platform. (Grupo Sinova)

Research highlights benefits of microbial combination (consortium) for plant growth. Practice surpasses traditional inoculation methods, which focus on single species. Combination of microorganisms, such as Bradyrhizobium spp. and Pseudomonas oryzihabitans, increased soybean yields by 11%, promoted a more robust root growth, and also a better nutrient accumulation. According to Peterson Nunes, researcher at the Federal University of Lavras, the use of microbial consortia can even prevent the incidence of pests, such as the Spodoptera littoralis caterpillar. (UFLA)

Special fertilizers market recorded growth in 2023, still in line with the trend of recent years, but at a more moderate pace. With an average increase of 2%, the revenue reached US$ 4.37 billion, according to the Brazilian Yearbook of Technology in Plant Nutrition. The Organomineral Fertilizers and Organic Fertilizers segments had a decrease of 20.7% and 7.2%, respectively. Biofertilizers and Special Mineral Fertilizers categories recorded growth, with increases of 5.6% and 8.3%, respectively, indicating a greater adoption of “premium” products. (Abisolo)

Antonio Albérico de Souza Santas is the new administrative director at Cibra fertilizer company. (Cibra Fertilizantes)

The Ministry of Agriculture has published the Call for Public Participation No. 01/2024, from May 25^th of 2024, for the Appointment of Representatives of Entities in the Pesticide Registration Sector to Participate in Tests of the Unified Electronic Information, Petition and Evaluation System. The entities must formalize the appointment of their representative via electronic petition in the Ministry’s Electronic Information System. (MAPA)

“Nobody here is going to waste money”, said the new president of Petrobras, Magda Chambriard, about the State-owned company’s fertilizer contract with Unigel, which is being questioned by the Federal Court of Accounts of Brazil – TCU. “If I have to explore markets, starting with something that already exists is always easier. But it has to make a profit. And if the TCU has questions, we will answer”. (Petrobras)

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