Unprecedented drought in Panama
Recent rainfall in the main agricultural region is a relief to farmers. “These rains are especially welcome for wheat, as they indicate the possibility of a great harvest, in addition to the opportunity to plant corn earlier”, said Cristian Russo, head of agriculture at the Rosário Stock Exchange. (BCR)
According to Mariano Garmendia, president of the National Institute of Agricultural Technology – INTA, each peso invested in INTA generates 11 pesos in return for society. “No-tillage, among other technologies, made INTA a local, Latin American and global reference in sustainable production planning, which protects natural resources in a world with an ever-increasing need for food”, said Garmendia. (INTA)
2022/23 grain harvest has ended, reaching a new record, with an estimated production of 322.8 million tonnes. Volume represents a growth of 18.4%, or 50.1 million tonnes more than in the previous harvest. The result reflects a nigger planted area, of 78.5 million hectares, and better average yields, that went from 3,656 kg/ha to 4,111 kg/ha. (Conab)
Pátria Investimentos announced it will launch Pátria Crédito Agrícola (Pátria Rural Credit), with the objective of financing agribusiness, in September of 2023. The first round of funding will seek to raise US$ 50.17 million, and the distribution will be carried out exclusively by XP Investimentos. (Patria Investimentos)
Deforestation alerts in the Amazon region fell 66.11% in August, compared to the same period of 2022. “In the first seven months of this government, we obtained a 42% reduction in deforestation [in the Amazon]. Compared to this same period of last year, this is a victory. In August, there was a 66.11% reduction in deforestation and a 47.5% reduction in the number of hot spots in the Amazon”, said the minister of the environment, Marina Silva. (INPE; MMA)
State of Mato Grosso should reach an average seed cotton yield of 305.97 arrobas/ha (an arroba is 15 kg) in the 2022/23 harvest, due to favorable weather conditions. The estimated yield is 3.39% higher than the estimate released in the previous month and 23.45% higher than what was recorded during the 2021/22 harvest. (IMEA)
Federal Supreme Court has approved a law that allows expropriation of productive lands that do not perform a social function. The Court unanimously denied a request by the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil – CNA to suspend sections of Law No. 8629/93, which regulated the expropriation of farmlands for the purposes of agrarian reform. For CNA, parts of the articles 6 and 9 of Law No. 8629/93 are not consistent with the Constitution. (CNA; STF)
Four new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza were confirmed in the State of São Paulo. So far, there were 94 cases of the disease in Brazil. Most cases were recorded in the State of Espírito Santo. (MAPA)
In July of 2023, 28% of Brazilian farmers were in default. “Although we have a share of farmers in default, this number can be considered low, because the index reached 43.7% in the case of the entire Brazilian population”, according to the head of agribusiness at Serasa Experian, Marcelo Pepper. (Serasa Experian)
Cylindrocarpon sp. fungus,
National Land Agency – ANT will give 780 hectares of land to 272 families that were victims of armed conflicts in the country, including former FARC guerrillas that were re-incorporated into civilian life. “10 properties [will be given] for families who are victims of the armed conflict and that are without land or with insufficient land”, said Gerardo Vega, director of ANT. (ANT)
Researchers at the National University of Colombia, Unal, have developed a solution based on bee propolis to feed laying hens, capable of increasing egg production by 3%. Propolis also helps to control bacteria and fungi. (Unal)
Mexican GDP should increase by 2.9% in 2023 and by 1.8% in 2024, according to the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. The economy of Latin America and the Caribbean is expected to grow by 1.7% in 2023 and by 1.5% in 2024. “The projections for 2024 indicate that the low dynamism in the region will continue. The international context should remain unfavorable, with GDP growth and global trade well below historical averages”, according to a note from the Commission. (Cepal)
Unprecedented drought in Panama. According to Helmuth Hofstatter, CEO of Logcomex, “the extreme drought has reduced the amount of water [in the Panama Canal], forcing the authorities to reduce the traffic of ships”. According to Leandro Barreto, director of Solve Shipping, Chile, Peru, and Ecuador could be greatly affected, since “products from these regions, such as grapes and bananas, are facing queues to cross the Panama Canal. Cargo destined for Europe and the Mediterranean should be the most affected, due to the difficulty of finding alternative routes”. (Logcomex; Solve Shipping)
Soybean fallow period ended on September 1st, and planting of the 2023/24 season has started. According to Esther Storch, director of Dasagro, by the end of September, 70% of the soybean area should have already been planted. The estimated soybean planted area is 3.030 million hectares. Forecast of normal rainfall for September and good weather throughout the harvest, which should reach 10 million tonnes of soybean. According to Storch, 20% of the 2023/24 soybean production has already been sold. (Dasagro)
Minister of Agriculture, Fernando Mattos, ruled out the possibility of Brazil taxing the country’s dairy imports. “We cannot establish restriction rules because we are in the integrated Mercosur, we cannot use laws that go against the spirit of free movement of goods and people. It would be a contradiction for Mercosur to ask for market liberalization and then establish internal restrictive rules”, said the minister. (Ministry of Agriculture)
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