4 July - Friday

Sadia announced the construction of a R$ 630 Reais agricultural industrial complex in Campo Verde.  It will slaughter chickens, produce feed, have silo for storage and an incubator.  Should be online 4th qtr 2010.

7 May - Wednesday

Fuel Prices On The Rise

Diesel prices at the pump will increase from 5% to 8% pushing up freight cost.  Cost per km in MT runs about R$ 2.02, or US$ 1.94 per mile.  source: Associação dos Transportadores de Carga de Mato Grosso

25 April - Friday

Railroad Alto Araguaia to Rondonópolis

The concession for the construction of the 140 km between these two cities will be signed next week.  Construction has been on hold for five years.  The consortium of companies have two years to complete the rail line.  Eventually, the line will connect Cuiabá, the capital, to Port of Santos.
source: Revista Ferroviária

10 April - Thursday

Ethanol Production Begins

At least four of the 11 sugar/ethanol plants in Mato Grosso started operations for this year's harvest, which is expected to be the largest in five years producing  904.5 million liters; 1,28% more than last year's 893 million liters.

13 March - Thursday

Embargos Cause Loses

The EU and Russian embargos on beef exported from Mato Grosso have cost meat-packers US$35 million.

source: Sindicato das Indústrias Frigoríficas do Estado (Sindifrigo)

5 January 08 - Friday
Land Prices on the Rise
From Alto Araguaia in the far SE of the State to the border with Bolivia on the West and North towards the Amazon basin, land prices in 2007 increased dramatically in Mato Grosso.  Kory Melby's  newsletter has more info.
 

16 October - Tuesday

Future Soybean Sales At 60% Of Pre-Harvest Crop In Mato Grosso

Survey results released yesterday by AgRural shows that 60% of the the 2007/2008 harvest has been commercialized.  AgRural forecasts a production of 17.16 million mt on a little more than 5.76 million hectares.  Compared to the same time last year, commercialization is up 31%.
Source:  Diário de Cuiabá

16 August - Thursday
Soybeans Expansion In Doubt
Just 30 days away from the beginning of the 2007/08 harvest, farmers are not sure how much they will plant.  Without the release of government financing resources, coupled with the weight of indebtedness from previous harvests and the increase prices of inputs, producers face an uncertain situation.

2 July - Monday
Poultry Production Expands
The two largest poultry producers in Brazil, Sadia e Perdigão, will increase production  in the State of Mato Grosso by 167.89%  by the end of this year to a total of 47.15 million birds from the present capacity today of 17.60 million
Source: Diário de Cuiabá

27 June - Wednesday
Logistics Hits Farmers' Incomes
Deterioration of roads have raised costs above soybean prices. The gross revenue of soybean producers in Sorriso, Northern Mato Grosso, have increased 60% in last the six years, while farm to port freight costs have grown 94%.  In 2007, freight costs were US$ 291.19 per cultivated hectare; 34% of gross income. In 2001, it represented 28%

11 June - Monday

Price Of cotton Down 11.63% since Planting
An arroba (33 lbs) of cotton has  depreciation 11,63% due to depreciation of the US$ in relation to the Real.  At planting the price was R$ 43 p/arroba. The price is now about R$ 38 in the southern region of Mato Grosso, responsible for about 60% of the production in the State.  As the president of the south region of Ampa, Christopher Barry Ward, about 60% the production already is compromised by means of future contracts or has been negotiated with traders in exchange for inputs. "The producers will only retain 40% of production". Ward explains that as the international prices were attractive at the end of last year, the producers had already  negotiated good part of the production of the next harvest. He calculates that 30% to 40% of 07/08 harvest and around 20% of  08/09 harvested has already been negotiated in Mato Grosso.  
Source: Diário de Cuiabá / Rondonópolis

 20 March - Tuesday

Mato Grosso Biodiesel Outlook
The availability of raw material - soybeans and cotton - plus the high consumption and cost of diesel in Mato Grosso due to being far from diesel refineries, is pushing the Biodiesel boom.   The cheaper fuel will supply local truck fleets such as Agrenco's 1,800 trucks in Mato Grosso.

Mato Grosso will produce 800 million liters (210 million gals) per year in two or three years making it Brazil's largest Biodiesel producer. 

Large Ag companies such as the Maeda and Maggi Groups, are researching "green fuels" and investing in Biodiesel plants. 

13 February - Tuesday
Record Cotton Crop
The area planted this harvest will surpass by 37.5%  last years. In 2005/2006, about 400,000 ha were planted. This year it is estimated that 550,000 ha will be put into cotton.

25 January 07 - Thursday
Sinop Cotton
Prices up 6% in last month. Highest prices since 2004 adjusted for inflation.