Argentina Is Developing a “Super Wheat” Variety
The National Institute of Agricultural Technology is developing a “super wheat” variety, developed using the CRISPR/Cas9 technique to edit a gene involved in determining grain size. The institute states that “the materials resulting from this work are not to be considered Genetically Modified Organisms”. (INIA)
Research indicates that, over the last 6 years, the annual increase in soybean and wheat prices reached approximately 213%, while production costs increased by almost 250%. For corn and barley, the increase in production costs was similar, but the price increase reached from 250% to 300%. (INTA Bahía Blanca)
AgroGalaxy achieved a record in barter operations in the last two months, involving 458 thousand tonnes of grains. “The data is unprecedented in the company’s history, recorded in a short space of time, within the first half of the year”. (AgroGalaxy)
Raw sugar deliveries on the ICE stock exchange for July reached 1.1 million tonnes, with 21,277 contracts. Most of the product will be from Brazil, with 735,000 tonnes from the Port of Santos and 340,000 tonnes from the Port of Paranaguá. (Intercontinental Exchange Inc.)
More than 70% of farmers in the State of Mato Grosso state that they face difficulties in hiring workers due to a lack of technical qualifications. Almost 37% of farms have only one to three “permanent” (non-temporary) workers. (IMEA)
SLC Agrícola reported the results for the 2023/24 season. Due to the hot and dry weather in the State of Mato Grosso, soybean yields fell by 17% when compared to the forecast, reaching 3,276 kg/ha. Off-season corn also fell by 4.3%, with yields of 7,255 kg/ha. For cotton, yields reached 2,071 kg/ha (+2.5%) and 1,974 kg/ha for the off-season crop (+5.6%). (SLC Agrícola)
The harvest of off-season corn reached 49% of the cultivated area in the Center-South region, an increase of 34% when compared to last week, and 16% when compared to the same period of last year. “As work advances, good yields are confirmed in the States of Mato Grosso and Goiás”, according to the consulting firm AgRural. (AgRural)
La Niña brings the possibility of frost in the Center-South region, which could affect sugarcane and coffee farming areas. “With the La Niña forming in August, the trend is for a longer dry period and a delay in the return of the humid period in spring”, said Ana Clara Marques, meteorologist at Climatempo. The late cold weather, that will come at the beginning of spring in the South of the country, could also harm wheat crops in the flowering phase. (Climatempo)
The Federal Government announced the Plano Safra for family farming, with approximately US$ 13.8 billion in credit lines and US$ 15.4 billion to the sector, an increase of 10% when compared to the previous year. In addition, the program offers reduced interest rates for rice farming (2% for organic and 3% for conventional) and other foods, such as beans, cassava and vegetables (3% interest). The sum of the plan for family farming and the plan for agribusiness and large farmers should reach US$ 85.4 billion. (Federal Government of Brazil)
The Parliamentary Front for Agriculture and Livestock – FPA recognizes the government’s efforts to increase resources for the Plano Safra 2024/25 (Brazilian Government’s rural credit plan), but points out that the Selic rate (Brazilian federal funds rate) fell by 3.25%, while interest rates were not reduced in an equivalent way, increasing the risk of default. The FPA points out that this scenario increases the sector’s risks for debt. (FPA)
The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ñuble Electric Cooperative sign a collaboration agreement to promote agri-food cooperatives and digital connectivity, seeking to reduce territorial inequalities in Ñuble. The aim is to implement regional fiber optics, coordinate public-private actions and investments in connectivity, develop initiatives to support beekeepers, among other proposals. (Minagri; Odepa; Copelec)
In the 1H/2024, coffee production reached 5.82 million bags, a growth of 16%, and exports reached 5.74 million bags (+15%). “With this good performance of the crop in the 1H of the year, Colombia reached 12.14 million bags, a number we have not seen since 2021″, said Germán Bahamón, president of the National Federation of Coffee Farmers. In the case of imports, there was a 64% drop in June. (FNC)
Lack of rain is shortening the corn crop cycle, reducing the production forecast to 3.82 million tonnes, a drop of 2.8% when compared to the previous month estimate. “As in the case of off-season soybeans, the results for the corn crop have been quite mixed, with the main losses also in the north of the Eastern Region. Given that both crops share the same producing region, losses are similar” said Larissa Alvarez, market intelligence analyst at StoneX. (StoneX)
The Union of Workers of the National Agricultural Health Service has decided to suspend the strike that began on June 24th. An increase in workers’ pay is planned, as well as other proposals that are yet to be discussed between Senasa and the Ministry of Economy and Finance. (Senasa; MEF)
The government has enacted a law that promotes the optimization of irrigation through efficient and sustainable management of water resources in locations with small-scale irrigation systems. The Law No. 32085 provides for the formation of executive groups (a participatory management model that manages social investment projects) as entities responsible for planning, executing and supervising the infrastructure of irrigation systems. (Midagri; ANA; Federal Government)
In June, total exports reached US$ 1.266 billion, an increase of 34% when compared to the same month of 2023, the highest growth recorded in the last two years. Highlight for soybeans, with US$ 348 million, an increase of 406% when compared to last year, followed by cellulose (+50%), rice (+21%), beverage concentrates (+7) and beef (+6%). (Uruguay XXI; DNA; Montes del Plata)
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