Crop growth drives agrochemicals sales in Brazil

The sales of agrochemicals in Brazil would grow between 6% and 9% in 2014, summing around $ 13 billion. The growth is pushed mostly by the soybean area, which represents 51.3% of the sales in the segment ($ 5.86 billion, according to the National Union of Crop Protection Industries (Sindiveg). 

 

"In 2014, soybeans certainly will continue to push the agrochemicals market. Two years ago, it represented 49% of the sales and increased 3%in the following year", said the information manager at Sindiveg, Ivan Sampaio.

 

In 2013, the agrochemical sales was $11.454 billion. According to Sindiveg president, Valdemar Fischer, the area expansion of crops in Brazil drive the demand of agrochemicals.  Sindiveg explains that nearly 60% of agrochemical sales occur between August and November, when farmers prepare the summer crops. The agrochemical sales from crops of sugarcane was $ 1.15 billion, representing 10.1% of the market, and was $1.09 billion or 9.5% for corn, $1.04 billion or 9.1% for cotton. 

 

"The main pests of crops are Helicoverpa armigera, soybean looper and lesser cornstalk borer on soybeans and corn, boll weevil on cotton, silverleaf whitefly on almost all crops", commented by the information manager.