Atrazine-based nanoherbicides are being developed in Argentina
Brazil
In compliance with court decision, Anvisa approves pymetrozine toxicological evaluation from Rainbow. (Anvisa)
Ordinance No. 861 of the Agricultural Defense Secretariat of the Ministry of Agriculture, from 07/25/2023, amends Joint Normative Instruction No. 2, from 07/12/2013, that establishes reference specifications of pesticide products approved for organic agriculture. Changes come into force on 09/01/2023. (MAPA)
Total imports of fertilizers in 2023 could be 7% to 10% higher than in 2022, a year that reached 41 million tonnes, according to Itaú BBA. Estimated imports from July to December reached 19.8 million tonnes. Fertilizer purchases
Resolution No. 47 of the Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply of the State of São Paulo, from 07/18/2023, regulates agronomic prescription
More than 30 employees from Sipcam Nichino industrial site in Uberaba, State of Minas Gerais, were held hostage by criminals armed with rifles in the early hours of July 27th. According to the Military Police, the group stole 37 tonnes of insecticides, valued at approximately US$ 10.58 million. (Military Police – MG)
According to Itaú BBA, although there are chances for increases in the short term, fertilizer prices should remain at low levels until the end of 2023, after the decrease in prices in the 1H. For StoneX Consulting, prices should decrease after November, when the market returns to its normal operation and the demand for products drops because of the agricultural calendar. (Itaú BBA; Stonex Consultoria)
“We are investing a lot in development of high-performance technologies, such as superhumectants, penetrants and antifoam products”, according to Lucelena Cardoso, R&D manager for Dow’s Industrial Solutions Business. “We noticed that a type of formulation that is gaining space in the market is the Oil Dispersion formulation…”, said Cardoso. (Dow Brasil)
“Fertilizer purchases have been driven by the record grain harvest in Brazil”, according to Eduardo Monteiro, country manager of The Mosaic Company in Brazil. Monteiro says that Mosaic announced US$ 250 million in investments for 2023. (The Mosaic Company)
Inspection on pesticide dealers in the cities of Carazinho and Passo Fundo, State of Rio Grande do Sul, resulted in 54 inspection terms, two additive terms, 17 notices of infraction and three notices of seizure and storage. “This action integrates routine measures to certify the traceability and regularity of the distribution of pesticides in the State…”, according to Ricardo Felicetti, director of the Department of Vegetal Defense of the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Sustainable Production, and Irrigation. (Seapi)
Petrobras and the Brazilian Chemical Industry Association announced the creation of a working group to study an integrated plan for resuming and consolidating the chemical industry in the country. According to Petrobras, the objective is to show that the chemical and fertilizer industry faces bottlenecks that go beyond strategies related to natural gas. (Petrobras; Abiquim)
Insecticides are effective in controlling green caterpillars (Phlegethontius carolina paphus), but precautions are necessary: it is important to know the region, the history of attacks, and to use different products. The green caterpillar is an important pest in soybean, corn, sugarcane, cotton, and rice. Biological control is most effective when caterpillars are in the initial larval stage. Parasites such as Apanteles sp., Belvosia bifasciata, and the wasp Cotesia congregata, are some of the natural predators of the green caterpillar. (Embrapa; Syngenta; Summit Agro)
In one month, 80 million bees died in the State of Bahia after illegal application of fipronil. Ribeira do Pombal was the most affected city, where 1,000 hives, from 32 beekeepers, were damaged, according to the Ribeira do Pombal Beekeepers Cooperative. (Cooarp)
Fertilizer market is leaving behind the scenario of decreasing prices observed in the 1H of 2023. In the past 30 days, urea prices rose by more than 30%, while monoammonium phosphate prices increased by approximately 9%, and potassium chloride prices increased 5%, according to Agrinvest Commodities. According to Agrinvest, the main reason for rising prices is the mismatch between demand and supply. (Agrinvest Commodities)
Brazilian Association of Plant Nutrition Technology Industries announced the Science Connection platform, that aims to consolidate in a single site the scientific papers regarding
Galvani, a fertilizer manufacturer, confirms investments of US$ 71.63 million in the city of Irecê, State of Bahia. “With the investment in Irecê, we are going to make it possible to double our annual fertilizer production in Luís Eduardo Magalhães, from 600 thousand to 1.2 million tonnes“, according to Rodolfo Galvani Jr., founder of Galvani. Until 2026, the company should invest US$ 540 million to increase production. (Galvani Fertilizantes)
Rainbow Rare Earths closed an agreement with The Mosaic Company in Brazil. Objective is to evaluate the economic viability of the extraction of rare earth elements from Mosaic’s phosphogypsum stack in Uberaba, State of Minas Gerais. The phosphogypsum stack from Uberaba contains rare earth elements that occur as by-products of phosphoric acid production. Rare earth elements are chemical elements that are difficult to extract, usually found in mixtures with ores. (The Mosaic Company)
Latin America
Atrazine-based nanoherbicides are being developed in Argentina to reduce the environmental impact of pesticides. “Its use [of atrazine] is restricted and even banned in many countries in the world, but in Argentina it is one of the most sold and used pesticides,” said Gabriela Cordon, professor at the University of Buenos Aires. Nanoherbicides are more sustainable because they can reduce the required amounts of products in agricultural applications. Researchers are also trying to replicate the study using glyphosate. (FAUBA)
Latin American countries seek to ban products based on chlorpyrifos. Researcher Francisco Herrera, from University of Nayarit, in Mexico, where the product is still allowed, said “it has been shown to be the most sold pesticide [in Mexico] and its presence is above allowed levels in soil, water and in fish”. In Colombia, the Constitutional Court requested in 2022 the suspension of sales of products containing chlorpyrifos, while in Peru the National Agricultural Health Service approved a resolution that “prohibits, as of 08/01/2024, the use of pesticides that contain the active ingredient chlorpyrifos”. In Argentina, a presidential decree banned its use and commercialization in 2021 and established that by June of 2023 the eradication should be guaranteed in the country. (Senasa; Universidad Autónoma de Nayarit)
“Argentina is now starting a period of greater demand for urea used for planting. Local production now represents a smaller percentage, and suppliers must rely more on imports”. (IF Ingeniería en Fertilizantes)
Agricultural Service of the region of Arica, in Chile, seized more than 150 pesticide packages that entered the country illegally, valued at US$ 41,650. Product was from Bolivia. (SAG)
President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, said there are plans for the coca leaf to be used in the production of low-carbon fertilizers. “The Government proposes, at a national level, in regions with the highest production of coca leaf… the construction of factories to buy this coca leaf and transform it into carbon-free fertilizers”, according to Petro. (Government of Colombia)
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