Crop Protection and Nutrition – Weekly Update Brazil & Latin America (07/31/25 – 08/06/25)

First biofungicide to use the bacterium Paenibacillus ottowii in the biological control of soil fungi such as Fusarium spp., in Brazil, developed by Embrapa and Simbiose and isolated in the Cerrado, is up to 80% effective. The product, which was launched on August 5th, 2025, also contains Bacillus velezensis, approved for corn and soybeans, increases productivity, and has outperformed chemical fungicides in tests since 2020. (Embrapa)

Soybean production costs for 2025/2026 season are expected to rise by up to 7% in Brazil due to higher fertilizer prices, which account for almost half of farmers’ expenses. In the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, monoammonium phosphate rose 43%, urea 25% and potassium chloride 22.6%, and gross margins may fall more than 35% with the drop in soybean futures prices and climate uncertainties, requiring a minimum yield of 54 60-kg bags per hectare to cover costs. (CNA; Aprosoja-MS)

Bioinputs market in Brazil is growing rapidly, leading the global adoption of biological products over the past five years and generating more than US$ 1.5 billion, with projections to exceed US$ 3 billion by 2030, according to Mark Trimmer, president of DunhamTrimmer. (DunhamTrimmer)

Catarina Fertilizantes and Grupo Saes will invest US$ 803 million in the Itiquira Agricultural Industrial Complex, in the State of Mato Grosso, which will include corn ethanol, biodiesel, and energy plants, a fertilizer blending facility, soybean and cotton crushing units, 10 warehouses, and the capacity to process 4 million tonnes of grain per year. The first phase, including the blending unit and ethanol plant, is set to be concluded in 2026. The project is to create 800 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs and reach US$ 3.24 billion in annual revenue by 2030. (Catarina Fertilizantes; Grupo Saes)

Minas Gerais State Government’s Fertilizer Donation Program, run by Emater-MG with support from Harsco Environmental, distributed more than 11,700 tonnes of agrosilicon between February and June 2025, exceeding the target of 10,000 tonnes and serving 109 municipalities. The input, made from steel industry by-products, improves soil quality and agricultural productivity, and is expected to benefit even more farmers in 2026. (Emater-MG)

Embrapa and Bioma launched Hydratus, a bioinput with Bacillus subtilis bacteria isolated from the Caatinga region, capable of increasing plant tolerance to drought, promoting deeper roots, and increasing productivity by up to 7.7 bags/ha in corn and 4.8 bags/ha in soybean. The product was developed after research began in 2017 with more than 400 bacterial strains collected in the State of Ceará. It is registered with the Ministry of Agriculture and will be presented at COP 30 as a Brazilian innovation. (Embrapa)

India announced a tender to import 2 million tonnes of urea, putting pressure on the global market for nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers and driving up prices, with the CFR Brazil urea futures contract rising to US$ 490/tonne in August 2025. According to StoneX analyst Tomás Pernías, this Indian demand occurs during the high season from May to September, leading buyers to adopt a cautious stance and directly impacting Brazilian agricultural production costs, especially for the 2025/26 winter corn crop, which already faces high costs and more expensive credit. Price of urea rose by 29% in Brazilian ports due to restricted global supply. (Stone X; Portos do Paraná)

The US 50% tariff on Brazilian products is worrying agribusiness, which fears Brazilian retaliation, such as surcharges on American inputs and the breaking of biotechnology patents, which could increase production costs for fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds. The US accounts for 3% of fertilizers and US$ 1.4 billion in pesticides imported by Brazil, and retaliation could raise prices and impact the domestic industry. (CropLife Brasil)

Superbac launched the only biotechnological fertilizer registered by MAPA as a biological soil conditioner. (Superbac)

Federal Highway Police seized 83 liters of illegal Chinese pesticides hidden in beverage crates inside a vehicle in Caçapava do Sul, in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, which was traveling from Rivera, Uruguay, to Araranguá, in the State of Santa Catarina. (PRF)

2024/25 cotton harvest is expected to reach 3.938 million tonnes, 6.4% above the previous season, as a result of favorable prices, advance planning, and greater use of biotechnology, soil preparation before sowing, seed treatment, integrated pest, disease, and weed management, with continuous monitoring and preventive application of fungicides and insecticides. (Conab)

In 38 experiments conducted in eight states during the 2024/25 season, Embrapa Soja found that chemical fungicides outperformed biological fungicides in controlling soybean leaf diseases. (Embrapa Soja)

André Luiz Zacarias Machado is the new CEO on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Phytosanitary Product Companies. (Aenda)

MAPA has published authorization for José Victor Torres Alves Costa, acting as General Coordinator of Agrotoxics and Related Products, of the Department of Plant Health and Agricultural Inputs, of the Secretariat of Agricultural Defense, to leave the country, with the purpose of holding bilateral meetings with the authorities of the National Service for Plant and Seed Quality and Health – SENAVE, as well as dealing with phytosanitary issues and technical visits to industrial plants, to be held in Asunción, Republic of Paraguay, from August 12th to 14th, 2025, with limited expenses for the Public Administration and funded by SENAVE. (DOU, Orders of 07/28/2025, MAPA)

Between July 28th and August 1st, the State Agricultural Defense Agency of Paraná carried out Operation Agro+ in municipalities in northwestern of the State of Paraná, focusing on the correct pesticide spraying to reduce drift. 26 officials, together with the State Agriculture Federation and the National Rural Apprenticeship Service, inspected sprayers and provided guidance to farmers. (Adapar; Senar)

Brazilian fertilizers, such as NPK and micronutrients, were exempt from the new 40% tariff announced by the US on July 31th, 2025. (Amcham Brazil)

Yara invested US$ 1.8 million in a new strategy in the country, establishing nine partnerships with exclusive fertilizer distributors across 28 stores in the Northeast and Southeast regions, aiming to reach 50 distributors by 2028. The contracts have an initial duration of four years and include Yara exclusivity, store renovations, dedicated teams, bonuses, and a focus on horticultural crops. In the first quarter, the partners sold nearly twice the projected target. (Yara)

Brazil Potash explores potassium in the Amazon to supply 20% of national fertilizer consumption, but the project faces denouncements of deforestation, land grabbing, impacts on indigenous communities, irregularities in environmental licensing and investigations by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. (Funai; USP)

Plant Health Care made its debut at Andav with innovative peptide technology to control diseases and nematodes in crops such as soybean, corn and sugarcane. The company invested US$ 1 million in R&D, increased its team fivefold, expects to grow 90% by 2025 and wants to quadruple its share in Brazil in five years, reaching US$ 60 million. (PHC)

In the 1H of 2025, Brazil imported US$ 6.4 billion in chemical fertilizers, an increase of 19.2% compared to the same period in 2024, making it the country’s second most imported product category. (Secex)