Newsletter AgriBrasilis - June 27th
Luis Luchsinger ?is a senior consultant at?Fructus Consulting Luchsinger, and an expert on the cold chain and post-harvest of fresh fruit in Latin America.
What are the losses and difficulties in the fruit post-harvest in Chile and why?
The distance from the destination markets, that are counter-season [these markets are in the northern hemisphere, whose seasons are opposite to those in the southern hemisphere], generate trips of up to 60 days. In many cases, this means that the fruits arrive to their destinations with little shelf-life remaining.
The main losses happen because of dehydration, rot, fruit softening, over-ripeness and, in some species, damages caused by cold.
How much does post-harvest represent in the production costs of the main crops?
If we consider the losses that occur during the harvest and post-harvest periods, the costs involved until the fruits reach their destination markets represent 70 to 85% of the total cost of the products. Clearly, harvest and post harvest are much more important than the fruit production stage itself.
(Access the full article on the?AgriBrasilis?website)
How does the pesticide registration process work in Mexico and which bodies are involved?
In Mexico, the registration of pesticides is regulated by the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development – Sader, by the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources – SEMARNAT and by the Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks – COFEPRIS . These agencies are involved in issuing the Coordinated Sanitary Register (RSCO), after compliance with product safety and efficacy tests. The registration process is time-consuming, involving submitting detailed technical information and conducting rigorous assessments.
In the?Initial Order?stage, detailed information about the product is provided (composition, formulation, physical and chemical characteristics, mode of action). During?Evaluation, studies and laboratory tests collect evidence on the safety and efficacy of the product. Subsequently, Cofepris issues a?Technical Opinion, and when the requirements are met, the?Registration?and?Certificate?for the distribution and commercialization of the crop protection product are obtained.
(Access the full article on the?AgriBrasilis?website)
Argentina:?Wheat exports should result in US$ 2.3 billion.?Estimated growth?of?40% in the 2023/24 wheat harvest, or 16.2 million tonnes, that could mean additional revenue of US$ 1 billion when compared to the last season.?(Rosario Stock Exchange)
Brazil:? Grupo BBF ?wants to become the largest cocoa producer in the world by 2030. The?group?announced that it will?plant?30,000 hectares of cocoa in consortium with assai?palm, through agroforestry systems in the Amazon. The first thousand hectares will be planted in 2023. (Brasil BioFuels)
Argentina became the second destination of Brazilian soybean, from January to May.?Only in May, exports reached 978.5 thousand tonnes. Argentina can buy up to 3 million tonnes more?from?Brazil in 2023. “The crushing margin in Argentina, importing soybeans from Brazil, was profitable, it was more worth importing than buying soybeans internally. This favored Argentina’s imports of soybeans from Brazil,” said Gabriel Faleiros, an analyst at S&P Global Commodity Insights. ( S&P Global Commodity Insights )
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Extreme cold led?2,700 head of cattle to death in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul and caused damage of US$ 2.09 million. “More than 90 ranchers, in 18 cities in the State, were affected. The highest concentration of deaths?was?in Nova Andradina”, said the president of Iagro, Daniel Ingold. The?cold?was characterized by an abrupt drop in temperature, going from approximately 30°C?to 4°C in just nine hours. ( iAgro )
Chile:?Occurrence of frosts?concerns the fruit?market.?“Temperatures reached?between -1°C and -4°C… There is a risk of kiwi bacterial disease, aggravated by the low temperatures. Therefore, it is important to monitor the orchards…” said Carlos Cruzat , president of the Committee of Kiwis from the Association of Fruit Exporters. Monserrat Valenzuela, manager of the Citrus Committee, said that damage to citrus can only be assessed 10 days after the occurrence of frost, and depends on the minimum temperature, exposure time, species, variety, and maturity of the fruits.?( Asoex )
Fruit exports dropped by 6.6% in volume during the first five months of 2023.?1,734,000 tonnes were exported, or US$ 4.35 billion FOB.?Fresh fruits represent 83% of the total. (Odepa)
Prohibition of?aerial spraying of pesticides is under discussion in 10 Brazilian States.?By?now, only the State of Ceará has legislation that prohibits the practice. (NGO?Repórter Brasil; State Legislative Assemblies)
In 2022,?81,500 tonnes of empty agrochemical?packages?were recovered?by the Campo Limpo Program in 18 countries in?Latin America, an increase of 5% compared to 2021.?“78% of recovered rigid plastic was recycled and transformed into new products…”, according to?Croplife Latin America.
“Argentina?consumes the highest amount of pesticides?per capita?in the world”, said Mauricio Cornaglia Fumigar, president of Paren de Fumigarnos.
Avanzar YPF Agro,?Argentina‘s largest?agri?inputs company, announces the launch of Sistema Integra,?a bulk phytosanitary product sales service. This is a “new model, that?will begin to replace the one that has existed for decades in Argentina, with enormous operational and environmental advantages for those involved”, said?Regina Izaguirre, manager of the company’s crop protection products.
Registration of pesticides in?Mexico?can take 4 years and cost US$ 5,200. “Registrations must be granted within nine months, but in reality the wait, on average, is up to three or four years…”, said?Romy Ursua Monreal, founding partner of?Ikan Consultores. Mexico’s pesticide market is estimated at US$ 1.65 billion.
Pedro Puttini Mendes ?is a lawyer and legal consultant at? P&M Advocacia & Consultoria Ambiental, Agrária e Imobiliária , M.Sc and law graduate from Universidade Católica Dom Bosco .
What is the Temporal Framework on the demarcation of indigenous lands, Bill No. 490/07?
The “Temporal Framework” and the “Bill No. 490/2007” are different issues. Bill No. 490/2007 encompasses other points, in addition to the Temporal Framework itself, such as the exploitation of indigenous lands, and these points should be discussed at another time. It is necessary to prioritize the regulation of the Temporal Framework to end conflicts involving the demarcation of indigenous lands.
The Temporal Framework is not just a legal thesis, but it is the orientation of article 231, paragraph 1 of the Federal Constitution, interpreted by the Supreme Federal Court. Only the indigenous lands that these peoples occupied or disputed (“relentless dispossession”) until the enactment of the Constitution are demarcated. This interpretation happened in 2009, when the Supreme Federal Court judged the Raposo Serra do Sol case; one must just read what is in the judgment that defines the timeframe and indicates the reasons for its existence.
Because of the lack of specific legislation to define “what is” the “Temporal Framework” that defines “land traditionally occupied on a permanent basis”, the Supreme Federal Court did so during the Raposo Serra do Sol case.
Incidentally, on that occasion, to justify the unnecessary attribution of binding effect to other cases, the Supreme Federal Court decided that that decision would have “intellectual and persuasive force of the highest Court in the Country”, now failing to demonstrate the reasons for overcoming or its distinction from this precedent to judge it once again.
(Access the full article on the?AgriBrasilis?website)