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Posted 5/20/2022 4:21 PM Updated 5/20/2022 4:46 PM

Agribusiness has a positive balance of US$ 43.7 billion in the year

The sector's exports increased by 34.9% in the period from January to April 2022 - Photo: Agência Brasil

 

Sales of agribusiness products in the foreign market exceeded purchases by US$ 43.7 billion in the year, from January to April 2022. In this period, the sector's exports increased by 34.9%. Imports registered a variation of 0.7%, remaining stable, compared to the same period in 2021.

 

The data were released on Thursday (19/05), by the Institute of Applied Economic Research (Ipea). According to the institute, the total trade balance (with products from all sectors of the economy) showed a surplus of US$ 20.2 billion in the accumulated result for the year.

 

In April alone, agribusiness exported US$ 14.9 billion, contributing to a surplus of US$ 13.6 billion in the sector's trade balance, with a growth of 15.2% compared to the same month in 2021. Imports totaled US$ 1.3 billion in the month, up 11.7% year-on-year. The total trade balance ended in April with a positive balance of US$ 8.1 billion.

 

According to Ipea, since December 2021, Brazil has exported more than in previous years. This is justified by the strong rise in international commodity prices, especially agricultural commodities. Commodities are products of agricultural origin or mineral extraction, in their raw state, used as raw material by the industry to manufacture other products, such as soy and iron ore, for example.

 

According to researchers at the institute, last month, exports were 81.6% higher than in April 2019, 52.3% higher than in 2020, and 14.9% higher than in 2021.

 

Also according to Ipea, the highlight of the period was soybean, which continues to lead Brazilian agribusiness exports, but with a change in the composition between grain, bran, and oil. Soybean in grain showed a significant drop in the volume exported about April of last year. The derivatives, oil, and bran showed an important increase, both in terms of quantities and prices. Thus, last month, the exported value of soybeans had a slight increase, motivated by the 41.8% increase in the price of the grain, compared to April 2021.

 

Soybean in grain reached US$ 6,729 million in exports in April this year, compared to US$ 6,665 million in the same month of last year. Soybean meal reached US$ 940 million and soy oil, US$ 415 million in exports in April this year.

 

Beef continues to grow. The average price of exported meat increased 27.9% compared to April 2021, in the face of a 22.1% increase in quantities shipped. Product shipments to China are still below last year, however, part of this drop was offset by sales to other countries.

 

Chicken meat, in turn, continues to expand markets. Ipea highlights the 27.2% increase in the average price of the bird and 5.6% in the quantities of protein exported. Regarding wheat, the good results of exports in March and April are explained by the record harvest in 2021-2022, but the volume sent abroad in April was about one-sixth of that recorded in March.

 

Regarding imports, Ipea shows a growth of 11.7% in April, influenced by the general increase in prices. Of the 16 products monitored, 14 had high values, while nine had a drop in quantities, including four of the five most expressive items on the import list: fish, vegetables, paper, and malt.