By Leonardo Gottems, Reporter for AgroPages 

 

The consultancy Spark – Strategic Intelligence exclusively revealed to AgroPages its annual BIP Corn study (Business Intelligence Panel). The survey showed that treatment with agrochemicals generated USD 312 million during the 2019/20 summer harvest. The result meant an increase of 8% in the use of pesticides applied to the most cultivated cereal in Brazil compared to the previous harvest.

 

According to Spark's managing partner, André Dias, this growth is related to the 10% increase in the rate of adhesion of producers to the control of pests, diseases and invaders. According to Dias, the average number of treatments determined by BIP in the harvest was 11.2 per planted area. The executive also considers the increase of 4% measured in the planting of seeds with Bt + RR technology to be relevant. Such cultivars, he informs, filled 78% of the corn areas, equivalent to 2.647 million hectares

 

Spark project coordinator Lucas Alves adds that Bt + RR seeds absorbed 74% of crop protection product sales, corresponding to US $ 232 million. In the 2018-19 harvest, the executive compares, the same cultivars occupied, proportionally to the area then planted, 71% of the crops, moving US $ 191 million.

 

According to Spark's survey, herbicides lead the way among corn agrochemicals. The products had a 38% share, with sales of US $ 118 million. Glyphosate remains the main active ingredient, with 44% of the segment (US $ 52 million). Atrazine held 1/4 of the category (US $ 25 million) and the assets tembotrione, atrazine + simazine, clethodim and mesotrione, among others, totaled US $ 41 million.

 

Vice-leader in culture, seed treatment management totaled 22% of sales (US $ 68 million). Spark points out that the treatment of seeds with insecticides generated US $ 63 million, equivalent to 93% of the category, an increase of 17% compared to the 2018-19 cycle. The treatment of seeds by fungicides, according to Spark, showed sales stability of US $ 5 million (7%).

 

Spark's figures also reveal that insecticides had a 20% share among corn pesticides, totaling US $ 63 million. Almost half of the result obtained in the category, the third most important for the industry in culture, was driven by the control of caterpillars, which reached US $ 31 million in sales (49%). Equally representative, insecticides to control suckers, such as leafhoppers and green bellies, totaled US $ 30 million or 48% of the segment.

 

Fourth category in sales, with a 17% share, corn fungicides moved US $ 53 million. Products from the strobilurin + triazole group reached US $ 29 million, followed by 'premium' (US $ 10 million) and protective (US $ 10 million). Adjuvant products, a segment with less participation in agriculture in general, closed the harvest with 3% of sales (US $ 9 million).

 

Among the producing states, BIP Milho from Spark brings Rio Grande do Sul in the lead in cultivated area, with 28% of the total (939 thousand hectares). Minas Gerais is vice-leader with 23% (774 thousand ha). In the third and fourth positions are Santa Catarina and Paraná, which planted 548 thousand ha (16%) and 462 thousand ha (14%), respectively. Fifth largest producer, São Paulo concentrated 8% (273 thousand ha) of crops. Goiás and Bahia close the ranking, with 233 thousand ha (7%) and 166 thousand ha (5%).