Fertilizer deliveries in Brazil see 0.5% decline in 2024

According to consolidated data from the National Association for the Diffusion of Fertilizers (ANDA), fertilizer deliveries to the Brazilian market reached 45.61 million tons between January and December 2024. This represents a 0.5% decrease compared to the 45.82 million tons delivered during the same period in 2023.

The ANDA attributes the decline to the smaller harvest in Brazil, which was the determining factor in the reduced consumption of fertilizers. However, in December 2024, there was a 0.1% increase in deliveries compared to the same month in 2023, with a difference of 200,000 tons, maintaining the period's total at around 3.60 million tons.

The state of Mato Grosso continues to lead fertilizer deliveries, accounting for 21.4% of the total volume in 2024, with 9.77 million tons. The states of Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Goiás, and Bahia followed, with 5.12 million, 5.11 million, 4.87 million, 4.57 million, 4.30 million, and 3.03 million tons, respectively.

The national production of intermediate fertilizers ended in December 2024 with 605,000 tons, representing a 7.5% increase. From January to December 2024, production reached 7.21 million tons, up 3.8% from the 6.95 million tons produced during the same period in 2023.

Intermediate fertilizer imports between January and December 2024 totaled 41.34 million tons, with 3.44 million tons imported in December 2024. The port of Paranaguá, the main entry point for fertilizers in Brazil, received 10.34 million tons, a 9.2% increase compared to 2023, when 9.47 million tons were unloaded. This terminal alone accounted for approximately 25% of the total imported through all ports, according to data from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce, and Services (MDIC).

As of December 31, 2024, industry stocks totaled 8.32 million tons. In the final 2024 balance, considering initial stock, national production, imports, exports, addition of micros/additives, deliveries to the market, and final volumes, there was a break/adjustment of around 3.90 million tons, which were delivered to the regular mineral fertilizer market, used in applications such as liquid fertilizers or organominerals, other industrial uses, or stored in unreported inventories.

"The ANDA, which continuously modernizes and monitors the market as it absorbs technology and innovation, works rigorously to identify changes and anticipate perceptions in its statistics", says the entity, following these transformations.

According to Jeferson Souza, Market Intelligence Analyst at Agrinvest Consulting, Brazil's growth is "epic". "In 2019, Brazil had a market of 36.2 million tons. Today, we see over 46 million tons. I believe this rapid increase will become the largest in modern history. In my view, Brazil's growth will continue in the coming years. Despite the challenges, we have enormous potential," concludes the expert.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)