Agência Brasil
Brasília – In the first quarter, the farm sector trade surplus rose 45% to US$6.6 billion, a new record. It is the biggest surplus for the period since records began in 1989.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, farm sector exports from January to March totalled US$7.84 billion, an increase of 37%, compared to the same period last year.
Brazilian exports to the European Union rose 40% during the period. To Asia, they were up 70%, to Africa over 77%, and to Mercosur up 44%. Also during this period, China increased its imports of Brazilian goods by 115%.
Soybean exports boosted the surplus, going from around US$1 billion in the first quarter of 2003, to US$1.64 billion this year.
Farm sector imports totalled US$1.21 billion during the first quarter, 4.4% above the same period last year.
