By Lise Alves, Contributing Reporter
SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – Brazil’s agribusiness sector registered a surplus of US$8.5 billion in June, according to MAPA (Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply). Exports grew by 4.7 percent in comparison to June of 2013 to US$9.61 billion, while imports fell by five percent to US$1.21 billion during the same period.
Once again soybean led Brazilian agribusiness exports with US$4.62 billion being sold and 8.73 million tons shipped abroad during the month. The added volume compensated for the fact that the price of the commodity is lower than that registered in 2013.
Meat sales (US$1.42 billion and 489,000 tons shipped) came in second in the agribusiness ranking of greatest exported products, followed by the sugar-ethanol segment and forest products.
The Ministry announced that Asia was the main destination for Brazilian agribusiness products, with a participation of 42.6 percent of exports in June, followed by the European Union.
According to CONAB (Brazil’s National Supply Company) the current 2013/2014 grain harvest in Brazil should total 193.87 million tons, an increase of 2.8 percent in relation to the 2012/2013 season.
Soybean, wheat and cotton are registering increased production this season, while corn production has fallen in comparison to the previous season.
The entity also noted that this season Brazil registered an increase of 3.26 million hectares (up 6.1 percent) of planted area. The increased planted areas were used to seed soybean, wheat, beans and cotton.
Enthusiastic with sector results, the government is investing even more next season. In May, President Dilma Rousseff announced that the government was making available R$156.1 billion to finance the 2014/2015 agricultural and livestock production season.
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