Five Structural Changes Underway in Brazil’s Agrochemical Market—Observations from the 17th Brazil Agrochemshow 2026

The 17th Brazil Agrochemshow, co-organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Chemical Industry Sub-council and Brazil’s AllierBrasil Consulting Ltda., was successfully held in São Paulo on August 3–4, 2026. Through on-site face-to-face supply-demand matchmaking and industry exchanges, eight high-quality technical presentations, and six in-depth dialogues involving representatives across the industrial chain, the exhibition clearly reflected five major structural changes currently underway in Brazil’s agrochemical market: 1. Diverging market characteristics between crop protection and crop nutrition—and ongoing reshaping of the market landscape In 2025, Brazil’s pesticide market size reached approximately USD 21.1 billion, growing 1.20% year-on-year. By crop, soybeans accounted for 55% of pesticide application area, corn 18%, and cotton 8%. As the world’s most rapidly adopting and fastest-growing market for biopesticides, Brazil recorded an average annual growth rate of 34% in its biopesticide market over the past six cropping seasons; in 2025 alone, a record 162 new biopesticide registrations were approved. Over 85% of Brazil’s fertilizer demand relies on imports. Since 2026, fluctuating fertilizer prices combined with tightening credit conditions have led downstream buyers to prioritize cost-effectiveness and supply stability. In terms of demand structure, demand for novel crop nutrition products—including foliar fertilizers and biostimulants—has grown significantly, beyond traditional base fertilizers. Historically, multinational corporations such as Syngenta, Bayer, BASF, and Corteva collectively held 80% of Brazil’s market share. In recent years, Chinese and Indian enterprises have substantially increased their registration investments and downstream market presence. Meanwhile, large- and medium-sized local distributors and cooperatives in Brazil have rapidly emerged—not only sourcing products from domestic importers but also independently registering products or directly importing formulations. Consequently, multinationals’ market share in Brazil has declined annually, and the domestic market landscape is undergoing fundamental restructuring. 2. Diversification of market demand and evolving downstream procurement behavior For the 2026/27 cropping season, Brazilian agriculture faces multiple challenges—including tightened credit conditions, rising farmer debt levels, volatile fertilizer prices, and deteriorating barter trade terms—leading to increasingly rational downstream demand. With the rise of local cooperatives and large- and medium-sized distributors, procurement models have shifted from reliance on importers toward independent registration and direct imports. This shift raises higher expectations for suppliers regarding product quality, cost competitiveness, and logistics efficiency. Buyers are also increasingly favoring suppliers capable of delivering integrated “crop protection + crop nutrition” solutions, while demand continues to grow for specialty products such as biologicals, foliar fertilizers, and adjuvants—placing greater emphasis on product portfolio suitability. 3. Supply chain restructuring and short-term adjustments in import trends In the first half of 2026, Brazil’s total pesticide imports amounted to approximately 333,400 metric tons—a 7.5% decline year-on-year—yet China’s formulation exports to Brazil rebounded in June. Geopolitical conflicts continue to generate uncertainty in raw material prices (e.g., sulfur and bromine), while industry capacity pressures intensify price competition—prompting companies to pursue differentiated products and application-based innovations. 4. Accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence and biopesticides AI applications in Brazilian agriculture have moved beyond conceptual stages into practical deployment, directly supporting agronomists’ daily decision-making and field management tasks. The growing adoption of related AI tools is enhancing overall industry productivity.

Corn supply declines slightly but remains at a high level; price decline moderates

Factors influencing corn markets include weather changes, buyer sentiment, feed mill strategies, domestic policies, international and domestic corn market dynamics, regional procurement conditions, arrival status of imported corn, disease outbreaks, livestock and poultry product prices, international freight rate fluctuations, the global economic situation, wheat price movements, feed demand, and weather impacts on corn production. IV. Related News 1. Analysts expect the upcoming USDA report to show net U.S. corn export sales for the week ending September 19, 2024, ranging between 600,000 and 1.3 million metric tons. 2. Traders report that Algeria’s National Office for Cereals (ONAB) issued an international tender seeking 240,000 metric tons of feed corn, with origin restricted to Argentina or Brazil. 3. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that private exporters reported sales of 180,000 metric tons of U.S. corn to an unknown destination, for delivery during the 2024/25 marketing year. 4. Ongoing supply chain disruptions in North America remain under close market scrutiny; potential labor strikes at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports could cause logistical chaos over the coming weeks and months. 5. Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy reported that as of September 25, Ukraine’s grain exports for the 2024/25 marketing year (beginning July) totaled approximately 9.8 million metric tons—up from 8.9 million metric tons a week earlier and representing a 58.7% increase versus 6.15 million metric tons in the same period last year. 6. According to data from Brazil’s Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex), Brazil exported 4.7 million metric tons of corn from September 1–20, 2024—up from 3.08 million metric tons a week earlier, though below the full-month September 2023 volume of 8.75 million metric tons. 7. The Brazilian Association of Grain Exporters (ANEC) estimates Brazil’s corn exports for September 2024 at 6.686 million metric tons—slightly higher than its prior estimate of 6.634 million metric tons. 8. Corteva, a leading global seed and crop protection company, stated that crop issues in parts of South America may prevent the company from achieving its earlier 2024 profit forecast. 9. According to the Rosario Grain Exchange, under normal weather conditions, Argentina’s 2024/25 grain and oilseed output could reach 143.2 million metric tons—up 9.3% from 131 million metric tons in 2023/24—potentially pushing exports to a four-year high. 10. RuralClima’s Southern Hemisphere spring forecast maintains its outlook for normal rainfall in Brazil beginning mid-October, although this does not preclude rainfall before then. 11. On September 26, COFCO’s Lanzhou branch conducted an online auction for corn: planned procurement volume was 6,259 metric tons; 2,003 metric tons were sold, achieving a 32% clearance rate. 12. On September 26, COFCO’s Guangdong branch conducted an online auction for corn: planned procurement volume was 2,588 metric tons; all 2,588 metric tons were sold, achieving a 100% clearance rate. 13. On September 26, COFCO’s Guangxi branch conducted an online auction for corn: planned procurement volume was 28,023 metric tons; all 28,023 metric tons were sold, achieving a 100% clearance rate. 14. On September 26, COFCO’s Chengdu branch conducted an online auction for corn: planned procurement volume was 5,400 metric tons; all 5,400 metric tons were sold, achieving a 100% clearance rate.

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