Brazil, one of the largest agricultural exporters in the world, is still dependent on the foreign market when it comes to fertilizer. According to a balance sheet by ANDA (the national association for the diffusion of fertilizers), of the 40 million tons delivered to the market last year, only 6 million came from the domestic market, which means that the country imports 85% of the product it consumes.
This disproportion makes the market at the mercy of the dollar price. Fertilizers are important additives for agriculture to provide nutrients for plant growth.
See the chart below for a history of Brazilian fertilizer imports since January 2020 and a comparison of the first quarter of the last two years:
According to Marcelo Morandi, Chief Environmental Officer at EMBRAPA, one of the biggest challenges currently facing the industry is to have a stable market that gives more options to the domestic market.
He participated in the 5th Sustainable Agribusiness seminar, held by Folha and sponsored by the government of Mato Grosso, Mosaic Fertilizantes, and AMBIPAR.
According to Morandi, of the three most important elements that plants need, namely NPK fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), Brazil is still dependent on imports for the last two, especially potassium, due to the few natural sources here in the country.
Source: Folha de São Paulo
