Brazilian Meat Exports to the USA Dropped Nearly 80%
Economic activity grew 5% in May when compared to the same month in 2024. This is the seventh consecutive month of growth. (Indec)
“There’s no doubt retenciones [export taxes] will end during Javier Milei’s presidency. Eliminating the retenciones is an obsession of this government“, said Economy Minister Luis Caputo. “Patience doesn’t bring income to farmers… The minister has to sit down at the negotiating table with the people from the countryside”, said in response Ignacio Kovarsky, president of the Confederation of Rural Associations of Buenos Aires and La Pampa. (Carbap; Government of Argentina)
Adecoagro, with four mills and three drying plants in Argentina, has a five-year expansion plan that includes the installation of more metal silos, dryers, and automation. “Our focus is on growing with quality and reducing operational risks, such as those associated with bag silos”, said Walter Cardozo, the company’s director of operations. (Adecoagro)
Rice production is expected to fall by 13% in the Entre Ríos region in the 2025/26 season, with an estimated area of 59,000 hectares, due to a 50% drop in the price of long-grain rice and increased production costs. The area irrigated by wells, the core of production, is expected to decrease by 20%, from 44,850 to 36,000 hectares. (Entre Ríos Grain Exchange; Siber)
National Institute of Agricultural Technology reports drought in the West and North region of Santa Fe with soil moisture below 10%, while the east and northeast maintain levels between 50% and 100%. Wheat planting is 92% complete in good condition, but corn harvesting is delayed, with only 82% of the area harvested, affected by rains and flooding. (INTA)
Heavy tariffs announced by the US government threaten Brazil’s total coffee exports. The move is expected to lead the country to seek opportunities in China and the Philippines. “Brazilian coffee exporters should seek alternative markets to the US if the country carries out its threats. They need to target markets that combine high projected absolute growth with a high compound annual growth rate… The Philippines and China offer both”. (GlobalData)
South Korea has authorized the import of raw hides and skins from cattle and other animals from Brazil. In 2024, the country exported more than US$ 2.8 billion in agricultural products to South Korea, particularly soybean, winter grains, flours, and meats. (MAPA)
Brazilian meat exports to the USA fell by almost 80% in less than three months, from April to July, even before the new round of trade tariff increases imposed by President Donald Trump’s administration came into effect. The increase in tariffs is scheduled for August 1st. (MDIC; ABIEC)
Embrapa researchers in partnership with FAO are proposing the creation of a global soil biodiversity observatory. The initiative aims to establish an unified system for monitoring soil-dwelling organisms. “Currently, the two global indicators that address soil, which are agrobiodiversity and organic carbon, do not capture the complexity of biological interactions”, said George Brown, researcher at Embrapa Forests’ Unit. (Embrapa)
AgRural raises forecast for total corn production in 2024/25, estimating 136.3 million tonnes, compared to the previous forecast of 130.6 million. The increase in volume was driven by positive adjustments in second-crop yields, with record average yields in the States of Mato Grosso, Goiás, Paraná, and Mato Grosso do Sul. Second-crop production was estimated at 108.9 million tonnes. (AgRural)
Sugarcane average yields and quality declined in the Center-South region in June. Average agricultural productivity fell by 10.8%, and sugar yield per hectare dropped by 11.5%. (CTC)
The EU continues to impose restrictions on Brazilian chicken exports due to the avian influenza outbreak in May. “Brazil has only recorded one isolated case and was one of the last countries to report the disease. This only proves that we have the potential to be the market of the future for chicken meat“, said Marcelo Osório, director of institutional relations at the Brazilian Animal Protein Association. “There are no technical reasons for the EU not to reopen the chicken market to Brazil”, according to Osório. (ABPA)
The Legislative Assembly of the State of Santa Catarina approved Bill No. 403/2024, which extended the 60% reduction in ICMS (state tax on the circulation of goods) charged on agricultural inputs for sales to other states until December of 2025. (ALESC)
On the morning of July 23rd, the Landless Workers’ Movement occupied the HQ of the Regional Superintendence of the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform – Incra in São Paulo, State of São Paulo. The objective of the occupation is to pressure the federal government to “advance structural policies for the countryside“. (MST/SP)
Food exports increased by 9% in the 1H of 2025, totaling US$ 12.46 billion, highlights include cherries up 14.4%; grapes up 10.9%; and nuts up 53.6%. The United States led imports with US$ 2.9 billion; followed by China, Europe, and Africa, respectively. (ProChile)
Record agricultural exports. Coffee, avocados, and palm oil led the growth, with the US as the main destination. Through May, agricultural exports reached US$ 6.401 billion, 36.8% more than in the same period in 2024. Coffee saw nearly 60% growth in export value during the period. (Unidad de Planificación Rural Agropecuaria)
Mexico is facing one of the worst agricultural crises in decades. Grain and oilseed production fell to 32.4 million tonnes, the lowest volume in at least 25 years. This represents a 20.59% drop compared to the 40.8 million tonnes recorded in 2021. The main cause is the drought that affected much of the country in 2024. Corn is the most affected crop, with a 5.4% drop for the second consecutive year, with Sinaloa and Sonora states being the most affected. (GCMA)
Berry production area has decreased by more than 10,000 hectares in four years. The production area is between 48,000 and 50,000 hectares, indicating a period of greater need for caution. Miguel Ángel Curiel, chairman of the board of directors of the National Association of Berry Exporters, explained that the reduction is the result of an adjustment process after several years of accelerated growth, in a context marked by droughts, crop diseases, and stabilizing international demand. (Aneberries)
Corn harvesting is nearing completion in Paraguay, with yields within expectations, according to Adilson Raimondi, operations manager at the Copasam Cooperative. Work is expected to conclude in eight days, and the concern is the prices for marketing. (Copasam)
Agricultural organizations have presented the Soybean Identification System for Export to the European Union (SISE-UE). According to a note signed by several agricultural associations, SISE-UE is an identification and traceability system for soybeans and their derivatives. “It is private, voluntary, secure, and verifiable. It does not constitute a prior export license or mandatory authorization, but rather a fundamental tool for ensuring compliance with the requirements that will be imposed by the EU for the entry of soybeans and their derivatives from Paraguay”. (Capeco; Cappro; UGP)
Peru has assumed the presidency of the Climate Action Platform for Agriculture in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a mandate until 2026, focusing on regenerative agriculture, water infrastructure, the inclusion of rural youth and women, and terrace restoration. The country leads with 53% of its production policies incorporating environmental criteria, double the average of the countries in the group, and 31% with a territorial approach. (Midagri; Placa)
Uruguay signed a bilateral cooperation agreement with Germany on forest bioeconomy to develop joint projects. The goal is to promote the sustainable development of the forestry sector through science, innovation, and institutional collaboration, seeking the sustainable use of forest resources to generate added value in production chains. (Ministry of Agriculture)
Uruguay participated in a debate on foot-and-mouth disease in Paraguay, with a delegation that included the vice president of the Rural Federation, Jorge Andrés Rodríguez. “Due to its size, Uruguay doesn’t have the capacity to determine if we have a problem with foot-and-mouth disease… We believe we are in a superior category regarding foot-and-mouth disease because, besides being free like the others, we have the vaccine that protects the herd, and in case of any problem, the animals are immunized… For now, we are far from considering anything different”, said Rodríguez. (Rural Federation of Uruguay)
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