Brazil Set New Record for Biopesticide Registrations in 2020

The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) registered 95 new pesticides for biological and organic control in Brazil in 2020, which is a record in this type of pest control products.

The 2019-2020 harvest was very important for the biologicals market in Brazil. Globally, this segment grows at rates of 15%, according to international consultancy Dunham and Trimmer. In Brazil, the increase reached 28% in revenue in 2020, according to data from Spark Consultancy.

In terms of the area, the participation of soybean treated with biopesticides stands out, going from 14% to 21%, with at least one application of bio-based products. If this average growth continues, it is estimated that more than half of the soybean area will have already received at least one application of biopesticide in the 2021-2022 harvest.

“The country has the National Bio-inputs Program (PNB) launched by MAPA in 2020. The program has a Strategic Council made up of representatives of public and private organizations, which took office in October last year. The council took office in October 2020 and this year it will define priorities such as the regulatory issue, credit and training,” said Alessandro Cruvinel, coordinator of the National Bio-inputs Program.

As a consequence, he believed, these measures will expand the use of bio-inputs, especially in crop protection, from just 2.6% of products used in agriculture to 20% by 2025, reaching R$2 billion in annual revenue.

“We also believe that Brazil is moving towards becoming a leader in this market, currently led by countries in Europe and North America. All of this will translate into lower production costs and greater competitiveness for Brazilian products and, especially, to strengthen the adoption of sustainable practices in our agriculture,” he stated.

According to information disclosed by Alessandro Cruvinel to AgroPages, in 2020 the biological segment registered a turnover of approximately US$307 million. Of this total, no less than 93% comes from just four crops: soybean (64%), sugarcane (18%), corn (6%) and cotton (5%).

Considering the different categories, the highlight is bionematicides, which represent 36% of this market, followed by bioinsecticides, inoculants and biofungicides. The survey by Spark consultancy shows that 90% of soybean producers – who used biologicals – when asked if they would apply it again, responded positively, demonstrating their confidence in this sector. 

“The sugarcane that uses bio-based products, which already reaches 45% of the entire planted area, is a result of the plants' level of organization and their research and development and productive integration programs,” Cruvinel commented.

The program coordinator added that the production of bio-based products has fewer entry barriers for foreign companies that want to invest in Brazil in relation to the production of synthetic pesticides. “In that sense, we can observe an increase in the number of small and medium-sized companies participating in this market,” he added.

Projecting the performance of the biopesticide sector in 2021, he predicted accelerated growth. “We believe that if the indicated increase rates are maintained, we can arrive in 2021 with 4% of the total pesticide market and 20% in 2025. A number greater than the global market share projected by consulting companies – such as Dunham and Trimmer that would be 10%, since in Brazil there is a good moment, especially with the development of the National Bio-inputs Program and with several sectors making investments both in production and in research, and development and innovation in the area,” he said in conclusion.

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This article was initially published in AgroPages' '2021 Latin America Focus' magazine.