10/31/2008 08h43
Agriculture and livestock production will be 25% higher in 10 years, foresees Mapa
Gazeta Mercantil - 10/31/2008
Brazil will harvest 179.8 million tons of soy, rice, bean, corn and wheat in the 2018/2019 harvest. Until then, the Country will also correspond to 89.7% of the world exportation of poultry animals and 73.5% of the soy oil exportations. These projections were presented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa) yesterday. The government does not consider the projections very optimistic. On the contrary, it affirms that they may even been conservative ones. According to the survey coordinator, general coordinator of Strategic Planning of the Ministry, José Garcia Gasques, the projections have already incorporated the effects of the current world financial crisis and take into consideration high and low points of the Brazilian and world economies. The Ministry affirms that the productive expansion will be obtained from technological gains, without depending on large expansions of the planted area. The study included a total of 18 products, from grains to orange and orange juice, including English potato and manioc. The conclusion of the study is that the most promising products are soy, wheat, corn, meat, ethanol, soy bran, and soy milk and milk. As for grains, the estimate is that the production should leap from 139.7 million tons, as it is registered for the 2007/2008 harvest; to 179.8 million tons in the 2018/2019 harvest. It is a 28.7% growth. The production of beef, pig and poultry meats should leap from 24.6 million tons, in 2008; to 37.2 million tons, a leap of 51%. There is the estimation of a production increase of 14.5 million tons of sugar; 37 billion liters of ethanol; and of more than nine billion liters of milk in the period. According to the Ministry's projections, Brazil will consolidate its position as the world's leader in the exportation of several agricultural commodities. The export of corn, which reached 11.5 million tons in the 2007/2008 harvest, should reach 22.9 million of tons in 2018/2019, a growth of 98.3%. The sale of ethanol to the foreign market should leap form 3.5 billion liters to 8.9 billion liters in the period, an increase of 153.8%. According to Gasques, the projections are feasible because they consider not only the international demand, but also "our domestic market that is big and growing. The domestic market is the one which should define the rhythm of the agricultural expansion", said the executive. Even considering the world economy slowdown, the perspectives are optimistic for the Brazilian agriculture and livestock.
