Brazil Agrochemical Update - 05/04

Pesticides
Brazilian Agrochemical Market Fertilizer and Pesticide News
  • Researchers from the Federal University of São Carlos and University of São Paulo create a new fertilizer that uses sugarcane cellulose as its main raw material. Objective is to use biodegradable materials so that there is a slow release into the soil and sufficient decomposition for plant growth. (UFSCar; USP)
  • Farmers from the city of Sobradinho participate in the course on Good Agricultural Practices in the Application of Pesticides, held at the City Council and at Afubra’s headquarters. Activity is promoted by Emater, with the support of Magnoget and sponsorship of Afubra. (State Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development)
  • Use of drones for agricultural spraying increases. Government has a record of about 2,000 agricultural drones, but there is no centralized data about their operations. There are concerns about the possibility of pesticide drift. (Anac; Embrapa)
  • New molecule terbuthylazine, launched in the Brazilian market in 2021, receives positive evaluations from different national research entities. Fundação Rio Verde demonstrates that application associated with glyphosate and mineral oil had a 94% to 100% efficacy in the post-emergence control of Eleusine indica, Commelina benghalensis, Spermacoce verticillata, and other plants. Universidade Federal do Paraná demonstrates that product is effective against Commelina benghalensis, achieving a 99% control of the plant. The “Benghal dayflower” causes problems in corn plants in the State of Paraná and in other regions of the country. (UFPR; Fundação Rio Verde; Sipcam Nichino Brasil)
  • Foreign purchases of fertilizers are expected to reach US$ 7.3 billion in the second quarter, an increase of 193% over the previous year. Expectation that imports of potassium-based input will have the greatest advance, to 2.08 billion dollars. Outlook is also positive in the organic sector with a projected increase of 69%, to US$ 10 million. (MacroSector Consultoria)
  • About nine tonnes of illegal pesticides were seized in the city of Sinop, State of Mato Grosso. Consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture revealed that it was paraquat, which is prohibited from production, transport and use in Brazil. (Federal Highway Police)
  • Evonik opens in the city of Americana, State of São Paulo, the Applied Technology Center for agricultural markets in Central and South America. (Evonik)
  • Ihara launches three new herbicides for soybeans, one of which is a desiccant aiming to replace paraquat. (Ihara)
  • Ceplac, Senar and Syngenta develop fungicides to combat “witches’ broom”, a disease that attacks cocoa plants in Bahia. Results of five products will be observed during two years, aiming to increase yields and quality of almonds, in addition to sanitary control. (Executive Committee of the Cocoa Crop Plan)
  • Anvisa is going to hear representatives from other institutions, such as Mapa and Embrapa, about the process of toxicological reassessment of carbendazim. Objectives are to evaluate the consequences of banning the product for agricultural production, measure the need for an environmental risk plan for pesticide disposal and create a strategy to deal with inventories. (Anvisa)
  • Ministry of Agriculture approves registration of 26 pesticide products of the technical equivalent type. (Mapa)
  • Sales of agrochemicals for sugarcane fell in 2021. There were US$ 1.26 billion in products for sugarcane last year, 9% less than in 2020. ( Spark Inteligência Estratégica)
  • Syngenta Group’s revenue grows 26% in the first quarter, reaching US$ 8.9 billion. Sales of pesticide products totaled US$ 4.2 billion in the period. (Syngenta Group)
  • As of July 5th, farmers who use a pulled mechanical atomizer for agrochemical applications will have to pull the implement using closed cabin tractors. Rule is contained in the Regulatory Norm (NR) 31, which establishes safety and health rules in rural work. (Ministry of Labor and Welfare)
  • Verde Agritech, a mineral fertilizers company, enters the market of fertilizers with microorganisms used as additives. Technology called “Bio Revolution” adds Bacillus aryabhattai bacteria to the company’s fertilizers. (Verde Agritech)
  • Embrapa and Fundação Meridional launch the first soybean cultivars with “Xtend” technology, tolerant to glyphosate and dicamba. Cultivars BRS 2553XTD and 2558XTD are refuge options for Intacta 2Xtend, which also adds resistance to the main caterpillars that attack soybean plants. (Embrapa; Southern Foundation)
  • Petrobras gives up selling a fertilizer factory to Russian group Acron, citing the impossibility of approving the proposed business plan by the government. Unigel intends to buy that Petrobras fertilizer project designed for the production of urea and ammonia in Mato Grosso do Sul, according to statement by CEO Roberto Noronha Santos. (Unigel; Petrobras)
  • Military Police of Paraná seizes agricultural pesticides smuggled from Paraguay. Products totaled 20 L of Paraquat Somax 240 and 87.5 kg of Raivel XTR, both herbicides banned in Brazil. (PM Paraná)