Consumption of fertilizers should increase in 2023 in Brazil
Brazil
MAPA published a summary of 82 pesticide registration requests, 25 of which are fungicides, 25 herbicides, 29 insecticides, 7 acaricides, 2 nematicides, 4 growth regulators, etc. (Ministry of Agriculture)
Congressman Adão Pretto filed a project to ban the spraying of pesticides in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. According to him, it is scientifically proven that these products cause damages and ecological imbalances. “It is called drift, that contaminates soils, rivers and does not respect fences or borders”, said Pretto. (Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio Grande do Sul)
Federal Rural University of the Amazon signed a partnership with China to develop organic fertilizers in Brazil. Cooperation includes research, development and technology transfer, involving the Chinese government, Hohai University and the company Zhuhai Sino-Lac Supply Chain. “China will share their technology with Brazil, that will be tested and adapted to local conditions, especially in the Amazon Region, for future commercialization of the products”, stated the dean Herdjania Veras de Lima. (UFRA)
Civil Police of the State of Rio Grande do Sul launched Operation Hades 2 against a criminal group that was selling paraquat. The police executed 16 warrants, and four people were arrested. 500 L of paraquat, 21 head of cattle and foreign wines were seized. According to Police Chief Heleno Santos, one of the alleged heads of the criminal scheme occupies the position of city councilor in the State. (Civil Police)
State of Rondônia approved a law that reduces fines for infractions related to pesticide use and updates other norms. Law No. 5567/2023 defines that agents of the Agrosilvopastoral Sanitary Defense Agency of the State of Rondônia must verify the use, trade, storage and transport of pesticides. (Idaron)
Published ABNT NBR ISO 27065 standard rule that establishes performance requirements for protective clothing used by pesticide applicators. (IAC-Quepia)
Ministry of Agriculture launched a manual regarding bees and their diseases. It covers the role of pesticides in the death-rate of these insects, especially in the case of neonicotinoids and fipronil. (Ministry of Agriculture)
In May of 2023, the trade-off between soybeans and fertilizers was more favorable to farmers than in 2022, according to Flavia Bohone, specialist at Argus. Even so, sales follow at a slow pace in the Brazilian market. “The expectation is that the commercialization of fertilizers to be used in the 2023/24 soybean season will intensify in June”, said Bohone. (Argus)
Marcelo Batistela is the new vice-president of BASF’s Agricultural Solutions Division. José Munhoz Felippe steps down from the role after more than 30 years at the company. (BASF)
According to José Otávio Menten, professor at the Superior College of Agriculture Luiz de Queiroz – USP, “Brazil is not the main consumer, although it is the biggest market, when it comes to chemical pesticides. It is important to clarify that there are also biological pesticides. While the chemical market should increase 2% per year in the coming years, the biologics market should grow 30% per year”. (Senagri 2023; CCAS)
National Union of Agricultural Aviation Companies filed a motion against the Supreme Court regarding the decision that considered as constitutional the State of Ceará’s law that banned aerial spraying. According to Sindag’s executive director, Gabriel Colle, the ban is based on prejudices against agricultural aviation, and not on the reality of safety on farms. (Sindag)
Consumption of fertilizers should increase in 2023. Projections vary from 2.5% to 10% of increase. StoneX estimates an increase of 2.5% to 5% in fertilizer deliveries to the market in 2023. Itaú BBA estimates a 7% increase in deliveries, that should reach 43.592 million tonnes throughout the year. Rabobank estimates a 10% growth in the amount delivered to the market, that should reach 45.2 million tonnes. (StoneX; Itaú BBA; Rabobank)
State of Mato Grosso presented the State Fertilizer Plan, seeking to end the dependence on imports in the State. Among the proposed actions are incentives for the implementation of a local fertilizer industrial facility, phosphate mining, production of nitrogenous fertilizers and studies for the use of other sources of potassium, minerals, limestone and bioinputs. “The project in Mirassol D’Oeste stands out, with a reserve of 314 million tonnes of phosphate…”, said the superintendent of agribusiness and credit at Sedec, Linacis Silva. (Sedec)
Petrobras president, Jean Paul Prates, denied the possibility of a subsidy to enable production in the fertilizer factories leased by Unigel in the States of Bahia and Sergipe. Prates indicated that Unigel should seek a solution through the market. “It is nobody’s order to subsidize a private company in this regard. Those who bought assets privatized by other governments have to deal with this reality. This goes for several assets…”, said Prates. (Petrobras; Unigel)
Latin America
Ban on the use of pesticides chlorpyrifos ethyl and methyl in Argentina. On 08/06/2021, a period of 455 working days was foreseen for phase-out. According to the National Agro-Food Health and Quality Service, the ban stems from an extensive review about the human health risks associated with chlorpyrifos and takes into account the processes carried out by different regulatory agencies around the world. (Senasa)
Province of Misiones, Argentina, approved a law banning the use of glyphosate. “The use of glyphosate, its components and related products is prohibited in the province. It is established that this ban comes into force after 2 (two) years of its official publication for the purpose of progressive transition of the change in the productive systems”, according to the regulation. The measure was harshly rejected by farmers that make up the Commission for the Articulation of Agricultural Entities, who considered it “an attack against agriculture and the country”. (Chamber of Representatives of Misiones; CEEA)
“For more than 20 years, Costa Rica has not updated itself and has not had a serious debate about the use of pesticides… in the world we are the country that uses the most pesticides per hectare of production… Costa Rica is pointed by FAO as the largest consumer of pesticides in the world, with 51.2 kg per hectare…”, according to congresswoman Kattia Cambronero. (Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica)
Inauguration of the Regional Center of Excellence for Latin America and the Caribbean in Pesticide Science, in Bogotá, Colombia. Objective is the technical training of professionals to carry out studies about pesticides. Initially, researchers from Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Dominican Republic and Peru will be trained. (IICA)
READ MORE: