São Paulo – This Friday (11), the Brazilian government launched the National Fertilizer Plan, a strategic plan for 2050 with the primary goal of reducing fertilizer imports. Brazil is experiencing concerns regarding Russian supplies due to the war with Ukraine.
Brazil is the fourth-largest consumer of fertilizers globally and imports 85% of its demand. According to information released by the Brazilian government, the plan will seek to rebalance national production and imports, causing foreign purchases to decrease to 45% of consumption by 2050.
At the strategy launch ceremony, at the Palácio do Planalto (Brazil’s seat of national executive power), in Brasília, the minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply, Tereza Cristina, explained it is not about Brazil achieving self-sufficiency, but having autonomy, with a reduced percentage of external dependence.
“We are not looking for self-sufficiency, rather the ability to overcome challenges and maintain our greatest wealth, agribusiness, thriving and competitive, to provide food security for Brazil and the world,” she said, stressing the plan is not just a reaction to the crisis, as it tackles a long-term structural problem.
This Saturday (12), the minister will travel to Canada to discuss the fertilizers issue. She already visited Iran this year and Russia last year. This Thursday (10), Tereza Cristina met with heads of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) and Arab diplomats to discuss a possible increase in purchases from the Arab bloc. Arab countries export fertilizers to Brazil, and several ambassadors participated in the launch of the national plan.
The strategy foresees 80 goals, including encouraging the use of innovative techniques and production of organomineral and organic fertilizers and by-products with potential for agricultural use, bioinputs and biomolecules, remineralizers, nanomaterials, among others. There will also be a tax policy favorable to the sector to stimulate producers and private initiatives, expand installed production capacity, and other actions.
The secretary-general of the ABCC, Tamer Mansour, also attended the launch ceremony of the National Fertilizer Plan, in which minister Tereza Cristina mentioned the meeting held with representatives of the Arab world and thanked the ABCC and the ambassadors for attending the event. The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, participated in the launch event and thanked the Arabs for their partnership.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
