Latest news with #agricultura
Reuters
a day ago
- Business
- Reuters
Brazil economic growth stays strong, supported by farm output, investments
BRASILIA, May 30 (Reuters) - Brazil's economy posted robust growth in the first quarter despite climbing interest rates as fixed investments, household consumption and strong farm output underpinned activity, pushing inflation to a two-year high. Gross domestic product in Latin America's largest economy rose 1.4% in the January-to-March period from the previous quarter, government statistics agency IBGE said on Friday, in line with the growth forecast in a Reuters poll of economists. GDP expanded 2.9% from a year earlier, below expectations for a 3.2% increase. On the supply side, agriculture stood out with a 12.2% gain from the previous quarter, fueled by a bumper soybean harvest. Services, which make up roughly 70% of Brazil's economy, expanded 0.3% amid a tight labor market, while industrial output slipped 0.1%. On the demand side, investments measured by gross fixed capital formation stood out with a 3.1% rise from the prior quarter. Household consumption also contributed with 1.0% growth, supported by measures from leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to boost disposable income, including a minimum wage hike. Government spending increased by 0.1%. The strong economic performance came despite the central bank's aggressive monetary tightening, which has raised the benchmark Selic interest rate by 425 basis points since September, to a nearly 20-year high of 14.75%. The government expects soaring interest rates to weigh more on economic activity in the second half of the year, projecting GDP growth to slow to 2.4% in 2025 from 3.4% last year.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Brazil's Tocantins state says agriculture ministry ruled out bird flu on commercial farm
SAO PAULO, May 28 (Reuters) - Brazil's Tocantins state said on Wednesday the agriculture ministry has ruled out an outbreak of bird flu on a local commercial farm, citing conclusive test results received from the ministry. There are currently seven potential outbreaks of highly pathological avian influenza in Brazil under investigation, including one on a commercial farm in Rio Grande do Sul, according to the ministry's website.
Reuters
20-05-2025
- Health
- Reuters
Genetic test suggests Brazil's bird flu cases in farm and zoo share same strain
PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil, May 20 (Reuters) - The results of genetic tests suggested that Brazil's first outbreak of bird flu on a commercial poultry farm in the state of Rio Grande do Sul shares the strain with cases in zoo animals in the same state, an official told Reuters on Tuesday. Rosane Collares, a director at the state's agriculture department, said is not yet possible to ascertain a direct relation between the two outbreaks.
Reuters
19-05-2025
- Climate
- Reuters
Argentina's farmers describe 'sea of water' after downpour hits harvest
BUENOS AIRES, May 19 (Reuters) - Argentina's agricultural heartland has been lashed by heavy rains in recent days, leaving some soy fields underwater with up to 400 millimeters (15.75 inches) of precipitation recorded in certain areas bringing widespread flooding. "Everywhere you looked was like a sea of water," grains farmer Martin Vivanco told Reuters by phone on Monday from San Antonio de Areco, a rural area 100 kilometers (62.14 miles) west of the capital city, Buenos Aires. "Some of the farmland in lower regions is completely covered in water and will be very hard to harvest. Some people even lost their farms." Argentina is the world's top exporter of soybean oil and soybean meal, and the No. 3 exporter of corn. The precipitation is some three to four times normal levels for May, according to German Heinzenknecht, a meteorologist at Applied Climatology Consulting, raising farmers' fears that the soy and corn crops could suffer major losses. The heavy rains from Thursday to Saturday added to already-abundant showers in recent months, said Heinzenknecht. "The amount of water that fell was absolutely ludicrous," said Heinzenknecht. "Even if it had only rained 150 mm, we would have still faced flooding." Farmers have been facing delays in harvesting the current soy crop due to the wet fields and muddy roads. Putting off harvesting can cause crops to develop disease or seed pods to open, also causing losses. In Salto, another agricultural area north of Buenos Aires, storms flooded 171,000 hectares with 330 mm of water, according to farmer Esteban Plazibat. "I have silobags and I know I will have problems. I have them in high places, but this time even the high places were flooded," he explained. The floods are affecting chicken and pig farms in the area as well, he added. Silobags are large bags that farmers can use to store over 200 tons of soybeans. These bags are widely used in Argentina and can be seen in fields across the country. Soy that has not yet been harvested is also at risk given that collection was already delayed due to excess water in the soil. Major delays imply potential losses due to crop disease or pod openings in the field. Though corn is more tolerant to water, Vivanco explained that some fields saw water levels of over a meter, which can impact the plant's development. Farmers' association CARBAP showed images on social media platform X of fields underwater and impassable farm roads. The heavy rains also caused flooding in some cities in the Buenos Aires province, where locals had to be evacuated from their homes. Prior to the most recent rains, the Buenos Aires grains exchange estimated the current soybean crop to reach 50 million metric tons and the corn crop to reach 49 million tons, respectively. Both crops are in their harvesting stage. "Everything is affected. This is unlike anything we've seen before," Vivanco said.
Reuters
17-05-2025
- Climate
- Reuters
Severe floods hit Argentina farm region, thousands evacuate
BUENOS AIRES, May 17 (Reuters) - Thousands of residents evacuated on Saturday as rains lashed the north of Argentina's Buenos Aires province, a vital agricultural hub, and caused severe flooding. The National Meteorological Service, which issued a red alert for the region on Friday evening, reported rainfall between 150 and 250mm (6-10 inches) between the cities of Zarate and Arrecifes. It warned that storms were "constantly regenerating," with more rain expected. Television images showed residents in Zarate, 100 km (62 miles) from the capital, navigating submerged streets in boats loaded with belongings. A long-distance bus with 44 passengers was trapped by floodwaters on Route 9 near Zarate. "Water started coming in and covered everything," the driver told the local C5N television channel. In San Antonio de Areco, more than 260mm fell in 24 hours – an amount local mayor Francisco Ratto called "rarely surpassed." The heavy precipitation in the key food-exporting region is anticipated to cause further delays to the ongoing soybean harvest. Argentina is the top global exporter of soybean meal and oil, as well as the third-largest exporter of corn and a major wheat exporter.
