Among the regions that import Brazilian agricultural products, the highlight last February was Asia.
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Asia increased purchases in 75%, its share of 32.1% of the exported value to 41.2%. In the group of countries, China stands as the main partnership of Brazilian agribusiness. Last month, shipments to that market rose 94.9% and totaled $1 billion.
When you sum the first two months of this year, the result of the balance of trade is also positive. In the first quarter of 2016, external sales of Brazilian agricultural products totaled $11.69 billion, with growth of 10.9% compared with the same period in 2015.
Brazilian agribusiness had more positive performance in the balance of trade. Last month, the industry's exports totaled $6.71 billion – a record of the historical series (1997-2016) for the month of February. This value corresponds to 50.3% of the country's total foreign sales, $13.348 billion.
"In comparison with the same period in 2015, the foreign sales of agricultural products increased by 36.9%. In total exports, the increase was less significant, of 4.6%, "noted Secretary of international relations of agribusiness, Tatiana Palermo."
In absolute values, the agribusiness shipments had, in February this year, an increase of $1.81 billion compared to $4.90 billion exported in the same month of 2015.
In February, the five main exporting sectors were meats ($1.05 billion; -1.1%); soy complex ($1.04 billion; +42.6%); sugar alcohol complex ($952.11 million; +123.8%); cereals, flours and preparations ($949.40 million; +180.5%) and forestry products ($932.52 million; +21.1%).
Exports of this product group soared $3.32 billion in February 2015 to $4.92 billion in the same month this year. With this, the participation of these sectors in the total external sales of agribusiness went from 67.7% in February 2015 to 73.3% last month.
According to Tatiana Palermo, February data prove again the competitiveness of the sector, which today called for more than half of the total value of Brazilian exports.
"Agribusiness demonstrates a remarkable export performance, which responds positively to the efforts of the Ministry of agriculture in opening new markets."
In value, the beef has surpassed that of chicken last month. Have been exported $477.14 million (+10.9%), due to an increase of 25.4% on the quantity shipped. External sales totaled $450.97 million chicken, pigs, $85.31 million and those of peru, R$14.34 million.
Shipments of soy complex rose from $725.77 million in February 2015 for $1.03 billion in the past month (+42.6%). The increase occurred solely because of the increase of exports of soybeans, which jumped from $346.12 million in 2015 to $715.30 million in 2016 (+106.7%). The elevation of the exported value due to the growth of volume shipped, 869 1000 tons to 2.04 million tonnes (+134.5%).
The sugar alcohol complex was in the third position among the major exporting sectors of agribusiness, with sales of $952.10 million. Shipments of sugar rose from $380.54 million in February 2015 to $800.39 million last month (+110.3%). Exports of alcohol from $41.48 million in February 2015 to $150.99 million last month (+264%).
The fourth position in this ranking was with the sector of cereals, flour and preparations. Exports dropped out of $338.44 million in February 2015 to $949.40 million last month (+180.5%).
The highlight was the corn, with shipments of $892.18 million, which represented about 94% of the total shipped by this thread. The volume of corn sold in February was also record: 5.4 million tons.
Forest products were in fifth position among the main exporters of agribusiness in February this year. External sales of the sector reached $932.52 million last month (+21.1%).
In this segment, the pulp shipments recorded all-time record, reaching 1.32 million tons, which accounted for $575.78 million m are past (+39.9%). ■