Brasília – Gross revenues from production and sales of agricultural products, known as the Gross Agricultural Production Value, may reach an all-time high in 2011. According to estimates disclosed today (10th) by the Ministry of Agriculture, the figure should reach 187 billion Brazilian reals (US$ 110.8 billion) this year, 8.29% more than in 2010, when the result was 172.74 billion reals (US$ 102.4 billion).
The survey was conducted in December by the Strategic Management Advisory at the Ministry, and returned the highest figure ever since records started being kept, in 1997. According to the coordinator of Strategic Planning, José Gasques, two factors have contributed to the result: the prospect of a larger crop and the upward price trend.
"The prospect of a favourable crop, which may reach 149,400 million tonnes, according to estimates of the National Food Supply Company [Conab], and the upward price trend for the main agricultural products are key components of the [estimated] results for 2011."
The products whose gross value have increased the most compared with last year were grapes (55.9%), beans (41%), cotton (38.3%), black pepper (23.5%), oranges (22,7%), cassava (20.2%), coffee (13.1%) and rice (11.2%).
The gross values of soy and maize, the two types of grain with the highest production volumes, have increased by 5% and 10.7%, respectively, according to the survey. Products whose production value has decreased the most were onion (-63%) and wheat (-22.4%).
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
