AgroPages-Paraguay imports US$85 million agrochemicals in first half of 2017-Agricultural news

Paraguay imported US$85 million of agrochemicals in the first six months of the year, according to the data released by the magazine Corporativa Global. The figure is similar to that achieved in the same period in 2016, though there has been an agricultural expansion in the country since — it is the sixth largest producer of soybean in the world (9.5 million metric tons) and the fourth largest exporter of the oilseed in the world.

For the local market, however, the challenge is to shrink external purchases and increase the domestic purchase of agrochemicals, noted Claudio Pusineri, director of Agrofuturo, a Paraguayan company that currently produces nearly three million kilograms of agrochemicals for the domestic market, as well as for the export market.

“We started by selling only four registrations, and today, are selling over 100 products, such as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and fertilizers. We are producing for the domestic market, besides exporting to the Bolivian market for the past five years; now, we have expansion plans,” the executive revealed.

“The agrochemical products sector has grown exponentially, mostly owing to the increase of the planted surface. However, there was an evolution in the quality of the products. Today, we have an exceptional national production, because there are machineries with excellent technology, and the professionals are well-trained. The products have better quality and are environment-friendly,” Pusineri maintained.

“Our goal is to replace the Chinese products, which are dominating the market now, with Paraguayan products. We realized that the producers, as well as the intermediates, are choosing more products formulated in Paraguay, firstly, because of the competitive price, and secondly, because of the excellent quality. We are gaining slowly, but with firm steps,” he concluded.