Herbicide Consumption in Brazil More Than Doubled From 2010 to 2020
Brazil
The Ministry of Agriculture has issued a rule establishing criteria for classifying agricultural production areas into four Management Levels within the scope of Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning. The measure aims to technically quantify the degree of adoption of good agricultural practices in each cultivated plot, starting with soybean crops. (SPA/MAPA Normative Instruction No. 2/2025, Ministry of Agriculture)
“The tariffs Trump imposed on Brazil will undoubtedly have a severe impact on some sectors, such as agriculture,” said Jeferson Souza, market analyst at Agrinvest Commodities. “Regarding fertilizers, Brazil imports little from the US – it used to be more in the past. Our major suppliers continue to be Russia, China, Canada, Morocco, and so on. Regarding pesticides, we import some products from them, such as glyphosate. But looking at the historical origin chart, it’s clear that China dominates this market and consolidates its position as leader year after year“. (Agrinvest Commodities)
Nitro Agro expects to reach more than 6% of the biologicals market by 2030. The company recently opened up a plant dedicated to the production of bacterial bioinputs in Várzea Paulista, São Paulo. (Nitro Agro)
The Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock highlights the fertilizer market scenario and the increase in input prices due to high global demand and limited supply in key markets. There was a 12.5% increase in imports of these inputs compared to 2024, totaling 15.3 million tonnes by May of 2025. (CNA)
The State Agricultural Defense Institute conducted 2,061 inspections during the first month of the soybean fallow period. In June alone, between the 8th and 25th, 12 infraction notices were issued. According to Mato Grosso Agricultural Defense Institute’s technical director, Renan Tomazele, all of the infraction notices issued were due to soybean farmers failing to comply with their obligation to keep their properties free of live soybean plants during the fallow period. “This 90-day ban is precisely to protect the next season’s crops. If farmers don’t take due care, they could put their production at risk, as the presence of the fungus during the health holiday period leads to the emergence of soybean rust earlier in the next crop, consequently increasing severity levels and compromising yields”, said Tomazele. (Indea)
One of the largest private investments in the State of Mato Grosso’s history will be installed in the city of Itiquira. The megaproject envisages the construction of five large industries integrated with a railway, generating six thousand jobs, and having a direct impact on the regional economy. The announcement was made during a meeting at the Mato Grosso State Legislative Assembly. The Installation License issued by the State Department of the Environment, authorizing the start of construction, was also presented at the meeting. (CIAI)
A survey identified 872 active companies in fertilizer production and import in Brazil, highlighting the dynamism and expansion of this market in recent years. Between 2020 and 2024, 129 new companies started operating, particularly those focused on organomineral and organic products. (Abisolo)
Gustavo Horbach left his role as leader of Heringer Fertilizer Company. Rodrigo Horta Dias de Oliveira has been elected to replace him. (Fertilizantes Heringer)
UPL is expanding its operations in Brazil with the launch of 10 new products in 2025. “Brazil is a strategic market for UPL, not only because of its size, but also because of its ability to adopt innovations that balance efficiency and environmental care”, said Rogério Castro, CEO. (UPL)
The Fertilizer Purchasing Power Index for June closed at 1.26, up 4.8% from the previous month. The increase reflects a global scenario marked by geopolitical tensions and fluctuations in agricultural input markets. Despite the appreciation of the real against the dollar, the main pressure on the index came from the rise in fertilizer prices, which rose an average of 3.7%. Highlights included urea, with a 9% increase, followed by phosphate (4%), single superphosphate (2%), and potassium chloride (1%). (The Mosaic Company)
With the start of the second corn harvest, Cocari – Agricultural and Industrial Cooperative warns of the need to monitor and manage invasive sorghum, also known as broom weed (Sorghum sp.). In 2024, the cooperative faced challenges with the presence of these seeds in corn shipments. Cocari’s Technical Department Supervisor, Fábio Ribeiro, explains that sorghum is a plant that is difficult to identify through seed evaluation. “It is very important to guide our farmers to always purchase certified seeds, with traceable origin and free of impurities for sowing, and also recommend that any sorghum species… that might be remaining in the area until the corn harvest should be removed,” warns Ribeiro. (Cocari)
Renato Gastaldo leaves his position at Amvac in Brazil and is the new national sales leader at Ballagro. (Ballagro Agro Tecnologia)
Experts celebrate the signing of Decree No. 12,538, which established the National Pesticide Reduction Program (Pronara). Paulo Petersen, a member of the National Commission for Agroecology and Organic Production, said that “the State’s recognition of the need to reduce pesticide use is not a trivial matter, as the use of pesticides has always been presented as an indicator of agricultural advancement or modernization… For the first time, there is an official reason guiding the reduction of these products.” (Presidency of the Republic)
The owner of Fazenda Flor da Bodoquena, located in the Serra da Bodoquena region of Mato Grosso do Sul, was fined along with an agronomist for illegally using a drone to spray pesticides. The area where pesticide was sprayed is near to the Kadiwéu Indigenous Territory. The drone was found to be using Padron (picloram 240 g/L) over an area of over 200 hectares, under the guise of pasture clearing. The application dried out and killed part of the native vegetation designated for the legal reserve. According to the product’s instructions, it should have been applied on the ground after clearing vegetation over a 100-hectare area. Padron is classified as a very hazardous product for the environment (Class II), so aerial application is prohibited. (Ibama)
Vinícius Paternez began his role as Executive Director at Zagri Specialty Fertilizers company. (Zagri Special Fertilizers)
The Regional Labor Court has scheduled a public hearing for August 19th to discuss the legality of the use of glyphosate on crops in the State of Mato Grosso, within the context of labor relations. The measure was ordered by Judge Aguimar Peixoto, as a preliminary step before the full judgement of the thesis. “The hearing will allow for technical and scientific contributions, including expert testimony, before establishing a precedent on the matter”, the rapporteur explained. (TRT)
Rising urea prices have been observed again in Brazil. Prices were boosted in international trade due to the “tight global supply-demand balance” and amid heated buying interest in the Indian market, according to StoneX. According to the consulting company’s Market Intelligence analyst, Tomás Pernías, urea prices in Brazil have increased significantly in recent days, with weekly variations of up to US$ 30 per tonne at national ports – a rise of over 5% when compared to the previous week. “The event that triggered this increase in urea prices in Brazil was the announcement of new information about an ongoing purchase tender in India.” (StoneX Consultoria)
Labor Court has recognized that the death of a 23-year-old rural worker was a direct consequence of exposure to pesticides while working in a tomato farm in Itapeva, State of São Paulo. The appeals court ruling, handed down by the Regional Labor Court of the 15th Region, ordered the farm owner and Trebeschi Tomates Minas Ltda. to pay US$ 18 thousand, in addition to a minimum wage monthly pension to the victim’s son. (TRT-15)
The average time for pesticide registration approval is decreasing, according to a preliminary survey by AllierBrasil, a pesticide registration consulting firm. (AllierBrasil)
Satis announces Jair Unfried as its new business director. (Satis Plant Nutrition)
More than 30,000 packages used for counterfeit pesticides were seized in Franca, State of São Paulo, during a special operation by the Special Task Force to Combat Organized Crime. (Gaeco)
The agricultural input distribution market in Brazil’s Central-West and North regions has entered a “new phase.” After years marked by expansion, mergers, and major investments, the focus is now on governance, management, and internal organization. This finding comes from a study conducted by Fesa Group, a specialist in human resources solutions with a strong presence in the agricultural sector. (Fesa Group)
Herbicide consumption in Brazil more than doubled from 2010 to 2020. Weed resistance to inputs like glyphosate has grown. According to a study by Embrapa’s Environment Unit in partnership with the University of Rio Verde, the volume of active ingredients sold jumped from 157,500 to 329,700 tonnes during the period, a 128% increase. (Embrapa Environment)
In compliance with court decisions, Anvisa approved toxicological evaluations of diafentiurom 500 g/L SC from Rainbow; and acetamiprid 250 + bifenthrin 250 g/kg WG from Lemma. ((DOU, Resolutions No. 2594 and 2595 of 07/10/2025, Anvisa)
The Mosaic Company initiated operations of its new fertilizer blending, storage and distribution facility in Palmeirante, State of Tocantins, in July of 2025, with an annual capacity of 1 million tonnes and a forecast of handling 500,000 tonnes this year. The investment reached US$ 84 million, with an expected margin of US$ 30 to US$ 40 per tonne and an internal rate of return of over 20%. (The Mosaic Company)
Fertilizer deliveries increased 16.8% in April of 2025, totaling 2.68 million tonnes, with the State of Mato Grosso leading with 24.2% of the total amount. National production increased 6.3%, and imports increased by 7.2% in April. The port of Paranaguá accounted for 27% of imports, with 3.04 million tonnes, an increase of 6.4%. (ANDA; Siacesp/MDIC)
Latin America
Allan Felipe Marciano is the new head of regulatory affairs for Latin America for Lallemand Plant Care. (Lallemand Plant Care)
Mauricio Feijo is the new leader of Strategic Marketing for Herbicides in Latin America at BASF. (BASF)
Bayer has signed an agreement with the French group M2i Group to develop and distribute pheromones in gel in the Latin American, United States, and Asia-Pacific markets. The pheromones are formulated as a thick gel, sprayed directly to the plant using a pressurized device. (Bayer; M2i)
Government of Entre Ríos, Argentina, permanently closed an illegal storage center of empty pesticide packages in Aranguren after an inspection revealed that it had been operating illegally for decades without a license. Tonnes of contaminated plastic, which had been illegally recycled for everyday use, were removed. The owner was fined and required to submit an environmental recovery plan. (Argentine Ministry of the Environment; Government of Entre Ríos)
Grape farmers in Mendoza and San Juan, Argentina, can register until August 15th in Senasa’s Risk Mitigation System to sell and export to Brazil without performing treatment against the pest Lobesia botrana, provided they comply with phytosanitary measures and inspections. Quarantine treatment remains mandatory for grapes destined to protected areas in Argentina. (Senasa)
Training on agrochemicals will be held on July 25th at the National University of San Luis, Argentina, aimed at phytosanitary applicators and agricultural engineers, focusing on regulations, toxicology, safe use of protective equipment, integrated pest management, current legislation, and good agricultural practices. It will be taught by specialists from agencies such as Senasa, INTA, Casafe, and ANAC, and is mandatory for obtaining or renewing a license for the responsible use of phytosanitary products. (FICA; UNSL)
Social organizations accuse Chile‘s Ministry of Health of “abandoning” the Discussion Group on Pesticides in Monte Patria after three years of work, even in the face of serious regulatory violations, such as 83% of farms not respecting safety zones for application. (Inia; Chilean Ministry of Agriculture)
Mexico‘s State-owned oil company Pemex has increased the estimated cost of a planned fertilizer plant in Veracruz State from US$ 1.2 billion to US$ 1.55 billion. The new figure is included in an environmental impact assessment Pemex submitted to the Environment Secretariat on July 2nd. (Pemex)
Nadia Pelayo Martínez, a researcher at Mexico‘s State Council for Science, Energy, Technology and Innovation, warns of “a lack of clarity on agrochemical labels in Mexico, as many of these products have variable colors, incomplete information or alterations, making their correct identification and usage difficult. This poses a direct threat to health and the environment”, Martínez said. (Ceceti)
In Mexico, 210 highly dangerous pesticides are authorized by the Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks, 171 of which are banned in other countries. The Action Network on Pesticides and their Alternatives in Mexico calls for updated legislation and public monitoring of the use of these products. (Rapam; Cenaprece)
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