São Paulo – Brazilian agribusiness exports generated US$ 8.98 billion in revenues in July, up 6% from July 2011 according to information issued this Tuesday (14th) by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply. The ministry emphasized that maize exports generated US$ 419.3 million in revenues, up 431.4% from July 2011.
"Overseas scarcity drove maize exports up, especially due to a decline in output in the United States. However, the Ministry of Agriculture is alert in order to ensure the supply of this important input for poultry and pork production in Brazil," said the minister Mendes Ribeiro Filho according to a press statement.
In absolute terms, the top export products in agribusiness were soy bean, bran and oil, at US$ 3.15 billion in sales, up 23.5% from July 2011. Next come sugar and ethanol, at US$ 1.61 billion in sales, down 17.7% from July 2011. Sugar exports were down 26.9% and ethanol exports were up 78.6%. Sugar accounts for a much higher share of agribusiness exports than does ethanol.
Sales of meats, the third leading group of export products, amounted to US$ 1.21 billion, down 2% from July 2011. Revenues from poultry exports were down, but beef export revenues were up.
Forest products exports generated revenues of US$ 768 million, up 0.7% from July 2011, and coffee exports generated revenues of US$ 437 million, down 20.5% from July 2011.
A highlight among target markets this month was Egypt, whose imports from Brazil were up 73.1%. The country imported the equivalent of US$ 256 million.
Year-to-date as of late July, Brazilian agribusiness exports reached US$ 53.76 billion, up 4.1% from the same period of last year.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
