Newsletter AgriBrasilis - December 16th
Why Are Soybean Prices Increasing in Brazil?
Camila Almeida dos Santos is a carbon specialist and project coordinator of the Soybean Program of Fundação Solidaridad, has a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in soil science from the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, with a degree in agronomy.
AgriBrasilis – Is it more expensive to produce low-carbon soybeans?
Camila Almeida dos Santos – Not necessarily. However, an initial investment is required to implement these practices, in addition to a period of adaptation until the benefits are perceived. Over time, these changes tend to increase the efficiency of the system, improve yields and, consequently, reduce production costs and increase profits, making the initial costs viable.
(Access the full article on the AgriBrasilis website)
Media Partner Event: Fertilizer Latino Americano 2025 (January 26th to 29th, 2025 – Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil)
" CRU Conferences in conjunction with Argus, are hosting Fertilizer Latino Americano 2025 that brings together fertilizer professionals in Latin America at a crucial time of the year for the market to network, negotiate and learn about new trends and opportunities. This leading event attracted over 1000 stakeholders from over 60 countries, representing over 500 organizations..."”
32% increase in cattle slaughter in November when compared to the previous month, which could reduce meat prices in Argentina. (Rosgan; Senasa)
Government of Argentina has approved 4 new vaccines for the poultry sector against Gumboro, Marek’s, Newcastle and infectious laryngitis diseases. (Senasa)
Banco do Brasil reached US$ 19.05 billion in financing during the 2024/25 season, up 30% on the previous harvest.
Drought and high temperatures in coffee areas have hampered flowering. Strong fruit abortion points to production below expectations in the next harvest. For Fernando Barbosa, president of the Association of Coffee Farmers of the Southwest of Minas Gerais, the concern is that “current conditions could lead to an even lower production than expected, affecting not only coffee farmers, but the entire production chain. We don’t know how this will end up, but the fact is that there is an imbalance that can cause severe damage”. The 2025/26 coffee’s harvest could see drops of more than 10%. (Association of Coffee Farmers of the Southwest of Minas Gerais; StoneX Brasil)
Lar Cooperativa Agroindustrial and Cooperativa Agroindustrial Copagril cooperatives will invest US$ 51.21 million in projects in four municipalities in the State of Paraná through the government’s program Rota do Progresso (Progress Route). The program intends to invest US$ 415.41 million, seeking to accelerate the development of 80 municipalities in the state.
Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries considers that the Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Mercosul, finally concluded after 25 years of negotiations, is a historic diplomatic milestone for the blocs, with the potential to transform commercial relations between the regions in a lasting manner. “For the magnitude of this achievement, we are grateful for the continued efforts of the Brazilian Government and Itamaraty Indústria e Comércio S/A, as well as the governmental and diplomatic entities from all countries in the bloc”. (ABIEC (Associação Brasileira das Indústrias Exportadoras de Carnes))
Wheat imports in Brazil reached the highest volume in the last 4 years, with 427.53 thousand tonnes in November, 33% more than the same month in 2023. (Centro de Estudos Avançados em Economia Aplicada (CEPEA); SECEX)
China receives the first load of cherries from Chile of the season, with 4500 tonnes. This is the first of 50 ships that are scheduled to leave Valparaíso and San Antonio for the Asian country. The Chilean Fruit Committee estimates that China should receive 90% of Chile’s cherry shipments this season. (Frutas de Chile)
Meat exports in Paraguay have reached the highest numbers in 13 years, with an 18% increase in the average value of meat exports, reaching US$ 5,561 per tonne. (Tardáguila Agromercados)
Correct Pasture Management Begins With “Respecting the Grass Cycle”
Luiz Vezozzo is responsible for the livestock sector at Harvest Agro, with a degree in Business Administration from the State University of Londrina and a postgraduate degree in agribusiness from the Federal University of Paraná.
AgriBrasilis – How to reduce the impacts of fires and droughts on pastures?
Luiz Vezozzo – There are many technologies that minimize the effects of fires and droughts in pastures, such as the application of products that promote the nutritional balance of forage, keeping them more robust and “greener”, even in adverse conditions.
(Access the full article on the AgriBrasilis website)
Yara fertilizer has started production of green ammonia in Brazil. Renewable ammonia is manufactured from biomethane, which allows a 75% reduction in the carbon footprint when compared to ammonia manufactured with natural gas. Biomethane, produced from waste from sugarcane processing, arrives through gas pipelines at the Yara unit in Cubatão city, State of São Paulo, after being produced by Raízen in Piracicaba city, São Paulo. Initially, production will be up to 6 thousand tonnes/year of renewable ammonia, out of a total of 200 thousand tonnes/year of ammonia produced at the Cubatão unit, which still uses natural gas in most of its operation. According to Yara, the objective is for the unit to operate entirely with biomethane by 2023. (Yara International)
Sugarcane farms with an 8.5% borer (Diatraea saccharalis) infestation have a white sugar processing cost that is 6% higher when compared with those with zero infestation. In ethanol production, the impact is more significant: an infestation of 8.5% results in an ethanol processing cost that is 18% higher compared to sugarcane without the insect. (Pecege Consulting and Projects; CTC - Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira)
Brazil Potash Corp concluded its initial public offering (IPO), selling 2 million common shares at US$ 15.00 each, totaling US$ 30 million in gross revenue. The shares began trading on the NYSE American exchange on 11/27/2024. The company plans to use the funds raised to finance pre-operational expenses for its potash manufacturing project at Autazes, in the State of Amazonas. This includes obtaining and complying with environmental licenses, carrying out critical engineering and construction steps, acquiring land for strategic areas such as dry tailings piles, and obtaining other authorizations necessary to advance the project.
Industrially treated seeds were used in 51% of the entire soybean planted area in the 2023/24 season, a new advance compared to the previous cycle, in 2023/22, when this number reached 47%. According to Lucas Lima Alves, research specialist at Kynetec, the use of fungicides, insecticides and nematicides in seed treatment aims to guarantee productive potential and protect the crop from initial attacks by pests and diseases. (Kynetec Brasil)
Soybean mealworm (Myochrous armatus) is a threat to Brazilian farms, especially in the Central-West region. According to Embrapa, infestations can reduce yields by up to 30%, causing losses of 8 to 10 bags per hectare. The pest attacks plants at all stages of development, with larvae that damage roots and adults that cut the stems of seedlings. Hudslon Huben, manager at ORÍGEO, highlights that monitoring is essential to avoid losses. “The soybean mealworm attacks plants at the beginning of the crop cycle and can cause damage to crops at all stages of development. Still as larvae, the pest lives in the soil and damages the roots of plants”, said Huben.
(Access the full article on the AgriBrasilis website)