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Soy: Anticipated sales reach 51pc

  • : Agriculture
  • 19/12/13

Soybean sales in Brazil's top grain producing state of Mato Grosso in December reached 51pc of estimated production for the full 2019-20 season, according to state Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea).

The pace of sales is faster than the 43.4pc five-year average for the period. Imea estimates 33mn metric tonnes (t) for the 2019-20 season.

The pace is also faster than one year ago when 41.3pc of the estimated production for the 2018-19 season was already sold. Sales were at 43.8pc of the estimated 2019-20 harvest in November.

The depreciation of the Brazilian real against the US dollar continued helping the competitiveness of Brazilian soybean exports. Sales for the 2018-19 soybean season reached 99.3pc of the 32.5mn t produced.

For the 2019-20 corn season, sales reached 51.6pc of the estimated total seasonal output of 31.6mn t. Planting of winter corn will begin after the soybean harvest for the 2019-20 season. The pace is faster than the five-year average of 34pc of production sold for this year's period. For the 2018-19 season, 98.8pc of 32.3mn t produced corn was sold.

Imea also reported sales of cotton lint. The sales are at 66.7pc of the estimated production of 1.9mn t in the 2019-20 cycle. One year ago, sales were at 65.3pc of production. The five-year average is 48.4pc of production sold for this time of the year.

By Kauanna Navarro


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25/04/24

Water levels delay Tennessee River lock reopening

Water levels delay Tennessee River lock reopening

Houston, 24 April (Argus) — The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) will delay the reopening of the Tennessee River's Wilson Lock by three weeks after high floodwater disrupted repair plans. The Wilson Lock is now planned to reopen in mid-June or July, the Corps said this week. The lock's main chamber has been closed since September after severe cracks were found in the structure. The Corps initiated evacuation procedures so personnel and equipment could be removed before any water entered the dewatered lock and ruined repairs after high water appeared too close to the lock's edge. The water did not crest above the temporary barrier the Corps installed to keep water out. Delays at the lock averaged around 10 days as of 24 April, according to the Corps. Barge carriers fees have been in place for each barge that must pass through the auxiliary chamber of the lock since 25 September, when the lock first closed. Restricted barge movement placed upward pressure on fertilizer prices in surrounding areas as well. The lock still requires structural repairs to the main chamber gates, including the replacement of the pintle components, the Corps said. This is the fourth opening delay the Corps have issued for the Wilson Lock, with the prior opening dates being in November , then April and then in June . The Wilson Lock will enter its eighth month of repairs next month. By Meghan Yoyotte and Sneha Kumar Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Brazilian wildfires burn 70pc less area in 1Q


25/04/23
25/04/23

Brazilian wildfires burn 70pc less area in 1Q

Sao Paulo, 23 April (Argus) — Wildfires in Brazil scorched an area almost equivalent to the size of Cyprus in January-March, but still 70pc less than in the same period in 2024 as the rainy season was above average in most of the north-central part of the country this year. The wildfires spread out over 912,900 hectares (ha) in the first three months of 2025, down from 2.1mn ha in the same period of 2024, according to environmental network MapBiomas' fire monitor researching program. The reduced burnt areas are related to the rainy season in most of the country, but still-high wildfire levels in the Cerrado biome showed that specific strategies are necessary for each biome to prevent further climate-related impacts, researchers said. The Cerrado lost 91,700ha to wildfires in the first quarter, up by 12pc from a year before and more than double from the average since 2019. Burnt areas in the Atlantic forest also increased 18,800ha in the period, up by 7pc from a year earlier. Wildfire-damaged areas in the southern Pampa biome, or low grasslands, grew by 1.4pc to 6,600ha. The Amazon biome lost over 774,000ha to wildfires in the first quarter of 2025, a 72pc drop from a year earlier, while it accounted for almost 52pc of burnt areas in March. The loss represented 84pc of the total burnt land in the period. Burnt areas in the central-western Pantanal biome, or tropical wetland, fell by 86pc in the first quarter to 10,900ha. The northeastern Caatinga biome, or seasonally dry tropical forest, lost around 10,000ha in burnt areas, down by 8pc from the same period in 2024. Reductions may not persist as a drought season will begin in May and is expected to be severe, according to Mapbiomas. Last year, an extended drought season prompted burnt areas to grow by 79pc from 2023. Northern Roraima state was the state to suffer the most from wildfires in the period, with 415,700ha lost to wildfires during its distinct drought season in the beginning of the year, while other states faced a rainy season. Northern Para and northeastern Maranhao followed, with 208,600ha and 123,800ha of burnt areas, respectively. Wildfires hit over 24,730ha of soybean fields in the period, a 29pc decrease from a year earlier, while burnt areas in sugarcane fields fell by 31pc to around 7,280ha. Wildfires hit 106,600ha of the country in March, a 86pc decrease from 674,900ha a year earlier. By João Curi Burnt areas in March ha 2025 2024 Amazon 55,172 732,929 Cerrado 37,937 20,995 Atlantic Forest 9,262 4,509 Caatinga 2,296 755 Pampa 1,514 127 Pantanal 562 21,799 Total 106,641 781,114 — Mapbiomas - Monitor do fogo Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Bulk organic imports avoid US fees on Chinese ships


25/04/22
25/04/22

Bulk organic imports avoid US fees on Chinese ships

Minneapolis, 22 April (Argus) — The fees imposed by the US on Chinese-built vessels will not significantly impact maritime organic imports to the US due to exceptions for small bulk vessels, but containerized imports will face some fees. The US announced Thursday that it will impose fees of $50/net ton (nt) on Chinese ship operators and $18/nt, or $120/container, on Chinese-built ships. Most organic imports to the US, especially for corn and organic soybeans, use bulk vessels to ship to the US. During the 2024-25 marketing year through March, no bulk vessel bringing organic corn and soy products into the country exceeded 70,000 dwt, according to bill of lading data. The fees will exclude any Chinese-built bulk vessel with a capacity of under 80,000 dwt, according to the US Trade Representative (USTR). As a result, bulk organic imports into the US will avoid these fees, even if imported on a Chinese ship. Some organic imports are brought in using containers. For a container with 21 metric tonnes (t) of organic soybeans, a fee of $120/container would be $0.16/bushel. The fee would be similar for a container of organic corn, but organic corn is rarely imported via container. The fee for a container with 21t of organic soybean meal will be $5.18/short ton. Some exporters to the US are more exposed to the fees on containers because of higher use of containerized freight. Shipments from the Black Sea used entirely bulk vessels over the past year, which will avoid the fees. Exporters in Africa and India, however, use containers for most exports and will be more exposed. Africa supplied 50pc of US maritime organic soybean meal imports during the 2023-24 marketing year, according to Argus estimates. All imports of organic soybeans from Argentina since last May used bulk vessels because of the higher cost of containerized freight to the US. If containerized freight rates between the US and Argentina fall, some organic commodities could be exported to the US by containers. Organic imports could also face some delays because of these fees, market contacts said. Some containers may wait at port longer until a non-Chinese-built vessel is available to ship the product to the US. This would lead to longer shipping times into the US and potentially to demurrage charges. The fees will take effect in October and will escalate over the next three years. The fees on a container brought in on a Chinese-built vessel will grow each year from $120/container in 2025 to reach $250/container in April 2028. By Alexander Schultz Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

USDA overhauls 'climate-smart' agriculture program


25/04/17
25/04/17

USDA overhauls 'climate-smart' agriculture program

Houston, 17 April (Argus) — The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has begun to overhaul a program that for three years incentivized "climate-smart" practices to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through grants to farmers, ranchers and forest landowners. USDA has cancelled the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities (PCSC), a program launched during former US president Joe Biden's administration, agency administrator Brooke Rollins said on Monday. Instead, the USDA has "reformed and overhauled" the program into the Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) initiative. According to the USDA, most of the projects under the Biden-era program "had sky-high administration fees" that resulted in considerably less federal funding being provided to farmers. The agency said it will review and potentially allow some projects to continue if they show that producers are receiving at least 65pc of federal funds. "We continue to support farmers and encourage partners to ensure their projects are farmer focused or re-apply to continue work that is aligned with the priorities of this administration," the agency said. In addition, the USDA said it will review current projects based on whether recipients of PCSC grants had at least one enrolled producer and made a payment to at least one producer before the end of last year. Any expenses incurred under the PCSC before this week's announcement will be honored, the agency said. The PCSC, which the agency launched in February 2022, had the potential to increase supply in the voluntary carbon market. It was designed to help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners use climate-smart practices such as those that help improve and maintain soil quality of forests, promote the use of cover crops, and encourage prescribed grazing. The program funded projects that created market opportunities for products produced through climate-smart practices and used cost-effective methods for tracking and verifying resulting reductions in GHG emissions. The Biden-era program initially had funding amounting to $1bn before more than tripling to $3.5bn a few months after its launch. But the USDA under US president Donald Trump appears to be downsizing that program, and it remains unclear how many projects will be permitted to continue. The move is part of a broader effort by the new administration to review, reconsider and potentially roll back federal climate policies. The US Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing more than 30 Biden-era emissions and water regulations. In addition, the president issued an executive order last week directing the Department of Justice to review and potentially challenge state and local climate policies, calling out California's cap-and-trade program as one potential target. By Ida Balakrishna Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Canada grants tariff relief to automakers


25/04/17
25/04/17

Canada grants tariff relief to automakers

Pittsburgh, 17 April (Argus) — The Canadian government will allow automakers to circumvent retaliatory tariffs to continue importing US-assembled vehicles if the companies keep making cars in Canada. Canada began taxing imports of US-made vehicles and parts on 9 April at a 25pc rate in response to a similar tariff the US had implemented. Canada's tariff on vehicle imports from the US will not apply to car companies that keep their Canadian plants running, the country's finance minister said this week. The measure attempts to prevent closures of auto plants and layoffs in the Canadian automotive sector that the US tariffs threaten to cause. Automaker Stellantis paused production at its Windsor, Ontario, assembly plant in early April to evaluate the US tariff on vehicle imports. The plant will re-open on 22 April, Stellantis said. General Motors also plans to reduce production of its electric delivery fan at its Ingersoll, Ontario plant. The slowdown will result in layoffs of 500 workers, the Unifor union said. The automotive industry in the US, Canada and Mexico has struggled to adapt its supply chains to the new tariffs because the US, Canada Mexico free trade agreement (USMCA) and its predecessor helped establish an interconnected North American auto sector. In another measure, companies in Canada will get a six-month reprieve from tariffs on imports from the US used in manufacturing, food and beverage packaging. The six-month relief also applies to items Canada imports from the US used in the health care, public safety and national security sectors. "We're giving Canadian companies and entities more time to adjust their supply chains and become less dependent on US suppliers," finance minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a statement. By James Marshall Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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