The quantity of fertilizers made available to the Brazilian market hit an all-time monthly record of 5.51 million tons in August 2023, according to data from the National Association for Fertilizer Promotion (ANDA). The figure represents a 32 percent growth compared to the same month in 2022, when 4.15 million tons were delivered.
In the last 20 years, Brazil’s domestic fertilizer production capacity has improved little. According to ANDA, domestic production of intermediate fertilizers saw a 4.9 percent yearly drop in August.
The Agriculture Ministry says Brazil accounts for 8 percent of global fertilizer consumption, but 80 percent of these products used in Brazilian agriculture are imported (mainly from Russia and Belarus). To reduce that dependence, the government launched a national fertilizer plan last year.
The state of Mato Grosso, Brazil’s main soybean hub, received 24 percent of the fertilizer made available to the market.
Meanwhile, the 2023-2024 soybean crop in Mato Grosso remains behind schedule. Sowing advanced to 83.32 percent of the state’s estimated planted area — an increase of more than 13 points compared to the previous week — but remains behind when compared to the same period last year and in relation to the five-year average, according to figures from the Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea).
Fields in some states are affected by a lack of rain (and soil temperatures of up to 60oC), while in others the problem is excessive rainfall.
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