Brazil farmer aims to revolutionize cocoa industry with giant farm
With the world's cocoa industry in crisis from failing production in West Africa, Brazilian farmer Moises Schmidt is hoping to revolutionize the production process with the world's largest cocoa farm. Arrthy Thayaparan reports.
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West Australian
27-05-2025
- West Australian
Viridis, Ionic JV sends recycled metals to Brazilian magnet maker
A 50:50 joint venture between ASX-listed juniors Viridis Mining and Minerals and Ionic Rare Earths Limited - dubbed Viridion - has completed its first delivery of high-purity rare earth oxides to Brazil's only permanent magnet manufacturing facility. The delivery is the latest step in a plan to build a fully integrated mine-to-magnet supply chain. The JV partners say the move could reshape the rare earths game in Latin America. The shipment included critical magnetic elements such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium, which were extracted from recycled end-of-life magnets sourced in Brazil. The material was processed at Ionic's Belfast facility and shipped back for trial magnet production at Brazilian not-for-profit FIEMG's Innovation and Technology Centre of Minas Gerais (CIT SENAI) in Lagoa Santa city. The centre's Lab Fab facility is the first of its kind in Latin America. Using advanced hydrometallurgical processing, Ionic transformed the old magnets into high-purity oxides of key magnetic metals. Magnets pulled from retired MRI machines and wind turbines could be given a second life as part of Viridium's push into recycled rare earths. The first shipment will support laboratory-scale alloy testing and magnet production. This is a crucial step in proving the recycled materials can meet the rigorous standards needed for electric vehicles, wind turbines and other high-performance technology. CIT SENAI expects to complete all tests with the recycled oxides during the second half of this year. The magnet manufacturer's move to experiment with recycled rare earth oxides is being funded by a broader, collaborative MagBras initiative, which was recently allocated US$13 million by the Brazilian government to finance the development of a low-carbon industrial ecosystem. The joint venture appears to have proved part one of its worth by delivering high-purity neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium oxides to CIT SENAI. Management says if the oxides pass muster in the lab as a feedstock for magnet production, it will be a big step to building a regional supply chain and offering a real alternative to a China-dominated market. The timing also appears to be spot on with Brazil's national ambitions. The government recently launched an R$8 billion (US$1.4B) funding pool through two of its public finance outfits to boost domestic processing and manufacturing of strategic minerals. Viridion believes it is well-positioned to tap into this pipeline with its latest delivery milestone. FIEMG president Flávio Roscoe said the recycled material has the potential to meet up to 7 per cent of global magnetic rare earths demand, which would be a strategic breakthrough that could cut the nation's reliance on supply from China. Beyond Viridis' plans for setting up a local recycling facility in Brazil, its flagship Colossus project - also in Brazil - keeps delivering the goods. Recent tests revealed rare earth recoveries as high as 78 per cent have been pulled straight from soft clay using ammonium sulphate and water, without the need for blasting, acids or high temperatures. The simple, clean process also shows the mine could be capable of producing a high-purity product at what might be among the planet's lowest all-in sustaining costs. To get some definitive answers on the hard numbers, Viridis is racing ahead with a pre-feasibility study, due by the end of the second quarter. The company is also applying for a plant construction licence and is in advanced talks with potential offtake companies. If all goes to plan, Viridis could be on track to anchor South America's first fully integrated rare earth supply chain - from mine to magnet and recycling - linking the heart of Brazil to the global EV surge. In a world gripped by geopolitical risk and critical mineral shortfalls, Viridis appears to be quietly crafting a rare earth advantage built on security, sustainability and, potentially, some sound economics. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact:
AU Financial Review
21-05-2025
- AU Financial Review
China moving on from Pilbara iron ore unfit for green steel: Forrest
Fortescue's billionaire chairman Andrew Forrest has warned that Australian miners risks being left behind as Chinese manufacturers upgrade plants and pivot to iron ore better suited for lower emissions steel making. Forrest is the largest shareholder in Fortescue, the country's third-largest iron ore miner after BHP and Rio Tinto. All three companies are grappling with falling ore grades in the Pilbara as mines age, and Forrest said Chinese buyers were shifting their attention to African and Brazilian deposits.
The Advertiser
16-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Bird flu hits world's largest poultry exporter Brazil
Brazil, the world's largest chicken exporter, has confirmed its first outbreak of bird flu on a poultry farm, triggering a country-wide trade ban from China and state-wide restrictions for other major consumers. The outbreak in southern Brazil was identified at a farm supplying Vibra Foods, a Brazilian operation backed by Tyson Foods, according to two people familiar with the matter. Vibra and Tyson did not immediately respond to questions. Vibra has 15 processing plants in Brazil and exports to more than 60 countries, according to its website. Brazil exported $US10 billion ($A16 billion) of chicken meat in 2024, accounting for about 35 per cent of global trade. Much of that came from meat processors BRF and JBS, which ship to 150 countries. China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are among the main destinations for Brazil's chicken exports. Brazil's Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro said on Friday China had banned poultry imports from the country for 60 days. Under agreements with Japan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, he said a trade ban would only restrict shipments from the affected state and, eventually, just the municipality in question. The outbreak occurred in the city of Montenegro in Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, the farm ministry said. The state accounts for 15 per cent of Brazilian poultry production and exports, pork and poultry group ABPA said in July 2024. BRF has five processing plants operating in the state. JBS has also invested in local chicken processing plants under its Seara brand. State officials said the outbreak of H5N1 bird flu is already responsible for the death of 17,000 farm chickens, either directly from the disease or due to cautionary culling. Veterinary officials are isolating the area of the outbreak in Montenegro and hunting for more cases in an initial 10km radius, the state agricultural secretariat said. Favaro, the farm minister, said Brazil was working to contain the outbreak and negotiate a loosening of trade restrictions faster than the two months agreed in protocols. "If we manage to eliminate the outbreak, we think it's possible to re-establish a normal trade flow before the 60 days are up, including with China," Favaro said in an interview aired on CNN Brasil. Chicken products shipped by Thursday will not be affected by trade restrictions, he added. The ministry said in a statement that it was officially notifying the World Organisation for Animal Health. Bird flu has swept through the US poultry industry since 2022, killing about 170 million chickens, turkeys and other birds, severely affecting production of meat and eggs. Bird flu has also infected nearly 70 people in the US, with one death, since 2024. Most of those infections have been among farm workers exposed to infected poultry or cows. The further spread of the disease raises the risk that bird flu could become more transmissible to humans. By contrast, Argentina was able to isolate a February 2023 outbreak and start resuming exports slowly the next month. "All necessary measures to control the situation were quickly adopted, and the situation is under control and being monitored by government agencies," Brazil's poultry industry group ABPA said in a statement. JBS referred questions about the outbreak to ABPA. BRF CEO Miguel Gularte told analysts on an earnings call that he was confident Brazilian health protocols were robust and the situation would be quickly overcome. Brazil, which exported more than five million metric tonnes of chicken products last year, first confirmed outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian flu among wild birds in May 2023 in at least seven states. The disease is not transmitted through the consumption of poultry meat or eggs, the Agriculture Ministry said. "The Brazilian and world population can rest assured about the safety of inspected products, and there are no restrictions on their consumption," the ministry said. Brazil, the world's largest chicken exporter, has confirmed its first outbreak of bird flu on a poultry farm, triggering a country-wide trade ban from China and state-wide restrictions for other major consumers. The outbreak in southern Brazil was identified at a farm supplying Vibra Foods, a Brazilian operation backed by Tyson Foods, according to two people familiar with the matter. Vibra and Tyson did not immediately respond to questions. Vibra has 15 processing plants in Brazil and exports to more than 60 countries, according to its website. Brazil exported $US10 billion ($A16 billion) of chicken meat in 2024, accounting for about 35 per cent of global trade. Much of that came from meat processors BRF and JBS, which ship to 150 countries. China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are among the main destinations for Brazil's chicken exports. Brazil's Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro said on Friday China had banned poultry imports from the country for 60 days. Under agreements with Japan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, he said a trade ban would only restrict shipments from the affected state and, eventually, just the municipality in question. The outbreak occurred in the city of Montenegro in Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, the farm ministry said. The state accounts for 15 per cent of Brazilian poultry production and exports, pork and poultry group ABPA said in July 2024. BRF has five processing plants operating in the state. JBS has also invested in local chicken processing plants under its Seara brand. State officials said the outbreak of H5N1 bird flu is already responsible for the death of 17,000 farm chickens, either directly from the disease or due to cautionary culling. Veterinary officials are isolating the area of the outbreak in Montenegro and hunting for more cases in an initial 10km radius, the state agricultural secretariat said. Favaro, the farm minister, said Brazil was working to contain the outbreak and negotiate a loosening of trade restrictions faster than the two months agreed in protocols. "If we manage to eliminate the outbreak, we think it's possible to re-establish a normal trade flow before the 60 days are up, including with China," Favaro said in an interview aired on CNN Brasil. Chicken products shipped by Thursday will not be affected by trade restrictions, he added. The ministry said in a statement that it was officially notifying the World Organisation for Animal Health. Bird flu has swept through the US poultry industry since 2022, killing about 170 million chickens, turkeys and other birds, severely affecting production of meat and eggs. Bird flu has also infected nearly 70 people in the US, with one death, since 2024. Most of those infections have been among farm workers exposed to infected poultry or cows. The further spread of the disease raises the risk that bird flu could become more transmissible to humans. By contrast, Argentina was able to isolate a February 2023 outbreak and start resuming exports slowly the next month. "All necessary measures to control the situation were quickly adopted, and the situation is under control and being monitored by government agencies," Brazil's poultry industry group ABPA said in a statement. JBS referred questions about the outbreak to ABPA. BRF CEO Miguel Gularte told analysts on an earnings call that he was confident Brazilian health protocols were robust and the situation would be quickly overcome. Brazil, which exported more than five million metric tonnes of chicken products last year, first confirmed outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian flu among wild birds in May 2023 in at least seven states. The disease is not transmitted through the consumption of poultry meat or eggs, the Agriculture Ministry said. "The Brazilian and world population can rest assured about the safety of inspected products, and there are no restrictions on their consumption," the ministry said. Brazil, the world's largest chicken exporter, has confirmed its first outbreak of bird flu on a poultry farm, triggering a country-wide trade ban from China and state-wide restrictions for other major consumers. The outbreak in southern Brazil was identified at a farm supplying Vibra Foods, a Brazilian operation backed by Tyson Foods, according to two people familiar with the matter. Vibra and Tyson did not immediately respond to questions. Vibra has 15 processing plants in Brazil and exports to more than 60 countries, according to its website. Brazil exported $US10 billion ($A16 billion) of chicken meat in 2024, accounting for about 35 per cent of global trade. Much of that came from meat processors BRF and JBS, which ship to 150 countries. China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are among the main destinations for Brazil's chicken exports. Brazil's Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro said on Friday China had banned poultry imports from the country for 60 days. Under agreements with Japan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, he said a trade ban would only restrict shipments from the affected state and, eventually, just the municipality in question. The outbreak occurred in the city of Montenegro in Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, the farm ministry said. The state accounts for 15 per cent of Brazilian poultry production and exports, pork and poultry group ABPA said in July 2024. BRF has five processing plants operating in the state. JBS has also invested in local chicken processing plants under its Seara brand. State officials said the outbreak of H5N1 bird flu is already responsible for the death of 17,000 farm chickens, either directly from the disease or due to cautionary culling. Veterinary officials are isolating the area of the outbreak in Montenegro and hunting for more cases in an initial 10km radius, the state agricultural secretariat said. Favaro, the farm minister, said Brazil was working to contain the outbreak and negotiate a loosening of trade restrictions faster than the two months agreed in protocols. "If we manage to eliminate the outbreak, we think it's possible to re-establish a normal trade flow before the 60 days are up, including with China," Favaro said in an interview aired on CNN Brasil. Chicken products shipped by Thursday will not be affected by trade restrictions, he added. The ministry said in a statement that it was officially notifying the World Organisation for Animal Health. Bird flu has swept through the US poultry industry since 2022, killing about 170 million chickens, turkeys and other birds, severely affecting production of meat and eggs. Bird flu has also infected nearly 70 people in the US, with one death, since 2024. Most of those infections have been among farm workers exposed to infected poultry or cows. The further spread of the disease raises the risk that bird flu could become more transmissible to humans. By contrast, Argentina was able to isolate a February 2023 outbreak and start resuming exports slowly the next month. "All necessary measures to control the situation were quickly adopted, and the situation is under control and being monitored by government agencies," Brazil's poultry industry group ABPA said in a statement. JBS referred questions about the outbreak to ABPA. BRF CEO Miguel Gularte told analysts on an earnings call that he was confident Brazilian health protocols were robust and the situation would be quickly overcome. Brazil, which exported more than five million metric tonnes of chicken products last year, first confirmed outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian flu among wild birds in May 2023 in at least seven states. The disease is not transmitted through the consumption of poultry meat or eggs, the Agriculture Ministry said. "The Brazilian and world population can rest assured about the safety of inspected products, and there are no restrictions on their consumption," the ministry said. Brazil, the world's largest chicken exporter, has confirmed its first outbreak of bird flu on a poultry farm, triggering a country-wide trade ban from China and state-wide restrictions for other major consumers. The outbreak in southern Brazil was identified at a farm supplying Vibra Foods, a Brazilian operation backed by Tyson Foods, according to two people familiar with the matter. Vibra and Tyson did not immediately respond to questions. Vibra has 15 processing plants in Brazil and exports to more than 60 countries, according to its website. Brazil exported $US10 billion ($A16 billion) of chicken meat in 2024, accounting for about 35 per cent of global trade. Much of that came from meat processors BRF and JBS, which ship to 150 countries. China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are among the main destinations for Brazil's chicken exports. Brazil's Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro said on Friday China had banned poultry imports from the country for 60 days. Under agreements with Japan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, he said a trade ban would only restrict shipments from the affected state and, eventually, just the municipality in question. The outbreak occurred in the city of Montenegro in Brazil's southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, the farm ministry said. The state accounts for 15 per cent of Brazilian poultry production and exports, pork and poultry group ABPA said in July 2024. BRF has five processing plants operating in the state. JBS has also invested in local chicken processing plants under its Seara brand. State officials said the outbreak of H5N1 bird flu is already responsible for the death of 17,000 farm chickens, either directly from the disease or due to cautionary culling. Veterinary officials are isolating the area of the outbreak in Montenegro and hunting for more cases in an initial 10km radius, the state agricultural secretariat said. Favaro, the farm minister, said Brazil was working to contain the outbreak and negotiate a loosening of trade restrictions faster than the two months agreed in protocols. "If we manage to eliminate the outbreak, we think it's possible to re-establish a normal trade flow before the 60 days are up, including with China," Favaro said in an interview aired on CNN Brasil. Chicken products shipped by Thursday will not be affected by trade restrictions, he added. The ministry said in a statement that it was officially notifying the World Organisation for Animal Health. Bird flu has swept through the US poultry industry since 2022, killing about 170 million chickens, turkeys and other birds, severely affecting production of meat and eggs. Bird flu has also infected nearly 70 people in the US, with one death, since 2024. Most of those infections have been among farm workers exposed to infected poultry or cows. The further spread of the disease raises the risk that bird flu could become more transmissible to humans. By contrast, Argentina was able to isolate a February 2023 outbreak and start resuming exports slowly the next month. "All necessary measures to control the situation were quickly adopted, and the situation is under control and being monitored by government agencies," Brazil's poultry industry group ABPA said in a statement. JBS referred questions about the outbreak to ABPA. BRF CEO Miguel Gularte told analysts on an earnings call that he was confident Brazilian health protocols were robust and the situation would be quickly overcome. Brazil, which exported more than five million metric tonnes of chicken products last year, first confirmed outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian flu among wild birds in May 2023 in at least seven states. The disease is not transmitted through the consumption of poultry meat or eggs, the Agriculture Ministry said. "The Brazilian and world population can rest assured about the safety of inspected products, and there are no restrictions on their consumption," the ministry said.
