Recently, the head of TCP, which is responsible for the container terminal in Parana, Brazil, said that the pesticide transport volume from January to August 2022 had increased by 95% compared with the same period in 2021. A total of more than 166000 tons of products were imported. Foreign trade, government policies and importer strategies contributed to the growth.

    According to TCP data, the company with the largest amount of imported pesticides is CHDS do Brasil of Brazil. Compared with the same period in 2021, the number of such products purchased by the company in the first few months of 2022 increased by 700%. According to Leila Zorzetto, the general manager of CHDS, "The increase in imports is mainly due to our expansion in the market and the expansion of our product portfolio with the new registration and approval. The increase in the number of new pesticides approved by the federal government has promoted the development of the industry. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture, 562 such products were approved in 2021 alone. Another reason for the surge in imports is the dry climate, which makes the environment conducive to pest/insect reproduction.

    According to Eliane Kay, executive director of the Brazilian National Union of Plant Protection Products Industry (Sindiveg), "Parana is one of the largest agricultural forces in Brazil. Parana is deeply invaded by insects, fungi and weeds, which have a significant impact on productivity. " The alliance said that in the first half of this year, sucking insects -- whitefly, leafhopper and bedbug -- directly affected the soybean, corn and sugarcane crops in Parana. According to the data of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, the annual output value of these three crops for the state exceeds R $46.6 billion.

    In 2022, the main importers of TCP pesticides transported a total of 11382 TEUs (the standard unit of measurement of 20 foot containers). This figure is almost twice that of 2021, and the transportation volume from January to August 2021 is 5851 TEUs. Giovanni Guidolim, business and service manager of TCP, said: "The epidemic situation has reduced the supply of raw materials in the market. In 2022, our customers expected that there might be a shortage of products, so they strengthened their import efforts, resulting in a large number of commodity inventories. "

    As far as CHDS is concerned, hoarding is a preventive measure, which is related to the increase of sea freight and the new blockade. "As our products are seasonal, it is expected that there will be some shipments," Zorzetto commented.

    According to Sindiveg's data, in the first half of 2022, Parana's pesticide market accounts for 10% of Brazil's total application amount. During this period, the state invested more than 630 million dollars, an increase of 12% over the same period last year - this is due to the increase in the incidence of insects and weeds, planting area and seasonal procurement.

    "Although the purchase of products in Parana increased by 12%, the transportation volume in TCP increased by 95%. The reason is that, in addition to the largest container yard and the best commercial conditions in Brazil, we also have companies in several states choose Paranagua to provide us with special infrastructure conditions for storing IMO goods. Our 10 day free storage quota provides enterprises with greater flexibility, and also conforms to the larger storage trend of this market. " Guidolim commented.

    Sindiveg said that the trend in the coming months is to strengthen the import of large materials. " Due to the increasingly serious environmental challenges caused by pests and diseases, not only Parana, but also all Brazilian states should maintain a large amount of product procurement for the harvest in 2022/2023, "predicted Eliane Kay.