National mango production fell 83.2% in Peru
“Dollars from agriculture will not reach the expected levels. Prices of wheat, corn and soybeans have fallen a lot since June of 2022. Decrease in soybean prices reaches around 45%, while that of wheat and corn exceeds 50%. This leaves the farmers with little chance for profitability, in a context of high withholding taxes, different exchange rates for exports and imports, bad weather, high rents and a lot of inflation”, said the economist and consultant Salvador di Stefano. Even so, according to the Institute for Studies on Argentine and Latin America, net exports of agricultural products from Argentina are expected to reach approximately US$ 37.5 billion in the 2023/24 season. (Salvador di Stefano Consulting; Ieral)
While the general indicator for all sectors of the economy fell 4.3% in January, the agriculture, livestock, hunting and forestry sectors grew by 11.1%. Thus, after a negative sequence of 19 months, agribusiness reached the fourth consecutive month of recovery, with increases of 3.3% in October, 4.7% in November and 9.1% in December 2023. (Indec)
Of every US$ 100 that a wheat farmer generates as income, US$ 84 ends up going to the State as taxes, which is much higher than the average of US$ 65 for farmers in general. “The problem is that taxes are not reduced in the same proportion as the income”, according to Nicolle Pisani Claro, chief economist at the Agricultural Foundation for Development of Argentina. (FADA)
President of Bolivia, Luis Arce, and President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, committed to strengthening bilateral relations, focusing on strategic cooperation in health, education, agriculture and telecommunications. The presidents met in early March, during the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Forum of Gas Exporting Countries, in Algeria. Bolivia’s Minister of Hydrocarbons and Energy, Franklin Molina, informed there is a possibility of signing agreements with the Iranian National Oil Company. (Government of Bolivia)
A significant number of soybean farmers is expected to reach the end of 2024 with negative results. “After 17 consecutive years of predominantly positive income for Brazilian soybean farmers, the 2023/24 harvest runs the risk of having negative results for the majority”, according to Flávio Roberto de França Jr., content leader at the consulting firm Datagro Grãos (Datagro Grains). The consulting firm has reduced the average yield estimate for the 2023/24 season, from 3,592 kg/ha from the preliminary estimate made in July of 2023 to 3,233 kg/ha. “And with a downward bias for the next estimate”, said França. (Datagro Grãos)
Mafra Group and the State of Minas Gerais Sugar and Ethanol Company – CMAA announced the JV Grão Pará Bioenergia to build a biofuels refinery in Redenção, State of Pará, focusing on the production of corn ethanol. Investments exceed US$ 400 million by 2029, and US$ 120.28 million will already be invested in 2024. (CMAA; Mafra Group)
Osvaldo Bachião Filho, vice-president of the Regional Coffee Farmers Cooperative of Guaxupé – Cooxupé, said that climate problems, such as drought, high temperatures and frost, which impacted approximately 17% of the coffee growing area, harmed Brazilian coffee farmers. “There were a lot of people affected by the frost. When we think about 17% in season numbers, that’s not that impressive, but when we think about the numbers of people affected, the number is very high”, said Filho. “Coffee crop is very sensitive, but we can say that there are positive factors. Coffee consumption in Asia has contributed a lot… Our expectations are optimistic, with slightly higher numbers, prices at these levels, and a very fair market for demand and supply”, according to Carlos de Melo, president of Cooxupé. (Cooxupé)
In January and February of 2024, Brazil exported approximately 182 thousand tonnes of rice, a drop of 24% in volume and 18% in revenue when compared to the first two months of 2023. Reduction is due to the rise in rice prices in the country, which made the Brazilian product less competitive abroad. (Abiarroz)
President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and President of France, Emmanuel Macron, announced an investment of approximately US$ 1.09 billion destined for the bioeconomy in the Brazilian Amazon and French Guiana. The project will have the collaboration of the National Development Bank – BNDES, the Amazon Development Bank, and the French Development Agency. (Government of Brazil)
BNDES approved financing for Be8, a biodiesel producer, for the construction of an ethanol and bran plant from cereal processing in Passo Fundo, State of Rio Grande do Sul. The amount is US$ 146.1 million and US$ 100.1 million comes from the BNDES Mais Inovação Program, a pioneering project in the country for grains destined for biofuel. “It will also represent an increase in the supply of DDGS meal for animal protein production chains, in addition to promoting investment in the development of genetic technology for the production of specific wheat for ethanol feedstock,” said Erasmo Carlos Battistella, president of Be8. (Be8)
Cosan has net income of US$ 472.6 million in the 4Q, compared to US$ 161.4 million in the same period a year earlier. Although the financial statement is not audited, the company said it “does not anticipate that it will be necessary to make material adjustments or changes to the information.” (Cosan)
INDAP and Fundación Telefónica Movistar launch a digital literacy program aimed to farmers in the country. Since the end of 2021, the “Renacer Digital en el Agro” program has benefited around 300 people across the country. (Ministry of Agriculture)
Colombia announces reopening of its market for importing chicken and eggs from the USA after months of negotiations. In August of 2023, the country banned the import of chicken and egg products from the US due to concerns about the possibility of avian influenza. In 2022, Colombia was the tenth largest market for US chicken, importing US$ 105 million. (ICA)
From 1975 to 2023, aquifers that were in a situation of “overexploitation” [with use greater than capacity for replacement] went from 32 to 114, an increase of 256%. Although almost 65% of surface water (rivers, streams and lakes) is used for agriculture, public water supply is fed by almost 60% of aquifers. According to congressman Rubén Gregorio Muñoz, president of the Hydraulic Resources Committee of the Lower House of Congress, Mexico suffers from a “water metastasis”, with the problem of water shortages affecting the entire country. (Conagua; Hydraulic Resources Committee)
US Senate’s decision against Paraguayan beef is a political issue, said Carlos Giménez, Minister of Agriculture. On March 21st, the US annulled the authorization given by the Biden administration for beef imports from Paraguay. “Paraguay has a health status that guarantees that we can send our beef to anywhere in the world. This is completely political, and is not related to animal health”, according to the minister. (Ministry of Agriculture)
National mango production fell 83.2% in January of 2024, when compared to the same period in 2023, reaching just 30.5 thousand tonnes. Climatic factors led to the occurrence of anthracnose in Piura, the largest mango farming region in the country. (INEI)
Peruvian coffee exports exceeded US$ 132 million in the first two months of 2024, an increase of 66% compared to 2023, with US$ 79.8 million. (Sierra y Selva Exportadora)
Rural Federation of Uruguay warns of a problem of “exchange rate delay”, with the dollar worth 37.5 pesos, the lowest value in 8 months. According to the Federation, the value of the dollar is “unsustainable for the productive sector”, and should be close to 58 Uruguayan pesos. “The situation of the sector is critical, given that in historical terms we are far below the level of equilibrium between the national currency and the dollar”, according to Milton Ramallo, economist at the Rural Federation. (Rural Federation of Uruguay)
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