Newsletter AgriBrasilis - November 8th
Fernando Ramirez-Muñoz is a researcher and professor at the Regional Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances at the National University of Costa Rica. Ramirez-Muñoz is an agronomist, with a Ph.D in natural sciences for development and member of the Action Network on Pesticides and Their Alternatives for Latin America.
Should pesticides in Costa Rica be banned?
In addition to the high use of pesticides in Costa Rica, certain pesticides already banned in other countries, due to their high danger to health and the environment, continue to be used.
According to the UN, a withdrawal of pesticides should be initiated, especially for those considered Highly Dangerous, as they cause serious and irreversible effects in the long term. There are pesticides that continue to cause many contamination problems in drinking water sources: this was the case of bromacil, for example, which is already banned for this reason, after many years of waiting for its removal. This is also the case with chlorothalonil, etoprophos, glyphosate, paraquat, etc.
Do you consider the use of pesticides in the country alarming?
Yes, especially in some crops such as vegetables, bananas and pineapple. Consumption increases every decade, and the intensity of use accelerates, causing many problems for neighbors of crops that use these products. Biodiversity, a source of foreign exchange for the country, due to the attraction of tourists, is reduced and affected by the intensive use of pesticides.
(Access the full article on the AgriBrasilis website)
Argentina: According to Dante Romano, a researcher at the Austral University’s Center for Business and Food, there is a lot of uncertainty in the local grain market. “Farmers don’t want to spend pesos for products they don’t sell, and exporters don’t want to validate the requested prices of soybean, because in that way they would lose money… the buyers’ desperation to get rid of pesos led to the price increase of corn…“, said Romano. (Universidad Austral)
Brazil: Antônio Pitangui de Salvo, president of the Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of the State of Minas Gerais, stated that Brazilian ranchers are being harmed by the increase in imports of subsidized milk powder, mainly from Argentina. According to him, imports should be suspended immediately to help ranchers suffering from low prices. “We are experiencing 13 months of aggressive, predatory and unfair milk imports and this is destroying Brazil’s dairy chain. This rampant import is in the order of 200 million L per month, which represents 10% of the milk consumed in the country”, according to the vice-president of the National Dairy Farming Commission, Jônadan Ma. (Faemg; CNA)
According to a study performed by Embrapa, Brazil has the lowest production cost in US$/kg (live animal) of pigs, ahead of 17 countries. In the State of Mato Grosso, the production cost in 2022 was US$ 1.13/kg, while in Santa Catarina it was US$ 1.28. Average for the countries studied is US$ 1.72/kg of live animals. Objective of the study was “to bring information to players in the production chain in Brazil about the degree of competitiveness of their competitors”, said the researcher at Embrapa Swine and Poultry, Marcelo Miele. (Embrapa Swine and Poultry)
Brazilian Association of Cotton Farmers is waiting for the Indian government to respond to the request for a quota of 100 thousand tonnes of cotton from Brazil, free of the 11% tax rate on exports to that country. Request is being reinforced by the Brazilian government, and was discussed in a meeting with the general secretary of the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, Chandrima Chatterjee. (Abrapa)
Paraguay: Economy should grow 4.5%, boosted by the agricultural sector. Agricultural GDP is expected to grow 22.5%, being the sector with the highest growth. In the last soybean season, the sector had the worst performance in history, with a volume of 3 million tonnes. This year, 9.6 million tonnes are estimated. (Central Bank)
Media Partner Event: XI Brazilian Soil Education Symposium (December 4th to 8th, 2023 – Palmeiras de Goiás, GO, Brazil)
"The Brazilian Society of Soil Science - Central West Regional Center is pleased to invite the community of academics, researchers, professors, educators and society in general, to the XI Brazilian Symposium on Soil Education, an event that will take place from 4 to 8 December 2023 at the State University of Goiás - University Unit of Palmeira de Goiás, in Palmeiras de Goiás - GO."
Jorge Sotomayor Luque is commercial manager at Florisert, a Peruvian company specialized in the cultivation of waxflowers. Sotomayor has a degree in administration from Universidad Ricardo Palma, and an M.Sc in marketing and commercial management from Escuela de Organización Industrial.
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What are waxflowers?
Waxflowers come from plants of the Chamelaucium genus, evergreen shrubs that reach between two and three meters in height. The leaves of these plants have a citrus scent, while the flowers have very resistant petals, and can last around 15 days in a vase, if the necessary care is taken.
The wax flower is considered a perennial crop, because it lasts an average of 12 to 14 years. Its season in Peru takes place between the months of April and October. It is a desert crop, native to Australia, and therefore needs heat during the day and cold at night, with a daily temperature variation of 10 degrees Celsius.
What is the market for this flower in Peru and Latin America?
In the case of Latin America, the protocol for the entry of waxflowers into Colombia was enabled in 2022, and in 2023 the entry into Brazil was approved. That is why we are working hard with the commercial, quality, and planning teams in these countries, to help them discover the versatility of waxflowers.
(Access the full article on the AgriBrasilis website)
Plant health is an essential factor for the export of Brazilian corn and soybean. Weeds and pesticide residues can compromise the acceptance of grains in foreign markets, especially in China. According to Pedro Alberto de Matos, from the National Association of Cereal Exporters, China has a list of more than 400 quarantine pests, which can prevent grains from entering the country. Among them are insects and viruses that can be detected in ship cargo. “These problems can be avoided or minimized with appropriate management in the farms, such as adjusting agricultural machines, cleaning the grains, controlling pests and diseases, and harvesting at the ideal time, said José Quirino, president of the Brazilian Association of Grain Post-Harvest. (Anec; Abrapos)
Minister Cármen Lúcia, from the Supreme Court, requested a review and suspended the trial that would analyze tax exemption of pesticides in Brazil. The minister has 90 days to return the case for judgment. There are three votes to keep the current rules, and one to overturn it. The National Health Council approved, on October 26th, a recommendation for Supreme Court ministers to reject any proposal that allows tax reduction or exemptions for pesticides in Brazil. (STF; CNS)
Simbiose, a pesticide and microbiological input manufacturer from Brazil, started selling a developed product in partnership with the State University of Londrina, based on Bacillus velezensis. The product is used to control diseases that affect soybeans and corn, such as corn white spot and brown spot. (Simbiose; UEL)
There is a lack of diesel and inputs needed for agriculture in Argentina. The Confederation of Rural Associations of Buenos Aires and La Pampa (Carbap) released a note saying that “only a government that does not govern can look the other way when warned of the problems that are to come. The consequence of this is the lack of medical material, the lack of fertilizers, of agricultural inputs and even the difficulty of providing food for animals”. Horacio Salaverri, president of Carbap, said that the fuel shortage worsens the already complicated situation that farmers are in with regards to the supply of inputs. (Carbap)
Research developed by the National Council of Science, Technology and Technological Innovation (Concytec) of Peru, proposes the use of artificial intelligence to detect, in a few minutes, the presence of pesticide residues above permitted limits in crops, and the presence of active ingredients of pesticides banned in the country. “These sensors can measure and transmit data relating to the presence of residues, which would be processed by artificial intelligence systems to quickly determine whether or not crops comply with permitted limits”, said Alberto Maurer, coordinator of the technical team at Concytec. In 2022, 16% of samples evaluated did not comply with the pesticide limits allowed by the country. (Concytec)
Haroldo José Torres da Silva is a managing partner of Pecege Consultoria e Projetos, member of the Agricultural and Financial Committees of Grupo Cocal and Grupo Colombo. Silva is an economist, with a M.Sc and Ph.D from the University of São Paulo.
Is there a lack of sugar on the international market? Why?
A deficit is expected in the global sugar market, due to the reduction in supply from important players. Thailand, for example, is expected to have the worst sugarcane harvest in the last decade. The scenario is also marked by the increase in global consumption, driven by population growth, to the detriment of the reduction in sugar supply in some countries, such as India and Thailand.
How does India’s decision to not export sugar benefit Brazil?
The lack of rainfall is expected to reduce sugarcane production in India. However, in the period leading up to the Indian elections (May of 2024), some concerns are most relevant: food security and inflation. In this way, India seeks to ensure a sufficient supply of sugar in its domestic market and to keep prices under control by limiting sugar exports.
If there are restrictions or bans on the export of Indian sugar for the next season (2023/24), we should see an increase in the price of this commodity on the international market, benefiting Brazil, especially the Center-South region.
(Access the full article on the AgriBrasilis website)