General

Brazil launches National Fertilizer Plan

Country depends on imported nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium

Agência Brasil

Published on 08/03/2022 - 11:23

Brasília

A ministra da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, Tereza Cristina, participa do programa Sem Censura, da TV Brasil. — © Valter Campanato/Agência Brasil

The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply Tereza Cristina said food security is a matter of national security, and fertilizers play an important role in the war context in Ukraine. Russia and Belarus - countries involved in the conflict - are the main Brazil´s suppliers of potash and hydrogenated products.

These are two of the main fertilizing products imported by Brazil and the country is heavily dependent on its import. “When I took office, I noticed the problem and started working on a plan to solve it. The USA produces 80% of its fertilizer consumption, and imports 20%, China is in a similar situation, and Brazil - an agricultural power – shall reach higher levels of self-sufficiency,” said the minister during an interview with TV Brasil's program Uncensored about the National Fertilizer Plan to be launched this month.

According to the minister, Brazil can achieve fertilizer self-sufficiency in 30 years. “It doesn't depend only on the government, but also on the private sector. We need investors to come and invest in the exploration of potash or urea,” said the minister. The main fertilizer shortages in Brazil are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

There are active potash mines in the state of Sergipe and a large deposit in Altazes in the state of Amazonas, which is very positive, she said. They are in the process of getting an environmental license, which can take a long time since Brazil has a very strict environmental and mineral law, the minister added.

In her interview, she criticized the inflexibility of the Brazilian environmental legislation. “We have to speed up the approval of such exploring licenses and focus on what really matters. Potassium is very important for Brazil, and if mines are located in regions with environmental problems, we have to mitigate these risks, analyze what compensations can be made, and recognize this is a national security problem. In some cases, we must make exceptions so that exploring processes can take place more quickly,” said Tereza Cristina.