Between January and December 2024, Brazil recorded a 9.2% increase in the area treated with crop protection products, totaling over 2 billion hectares.
The data comes from a study commissioned by the National Union of the Crop Protection Products Industry (Sindiveg) and conducted by Kynetec Brazil. The study highlights soybeans as the primary crop driving this increased use of crop protection products.
The research shows that the volume of pesticides used to control pests, diseases, and weeds grew by 8.5% compared to the same period in 2023. This total is distributed as follows: herbicides (45%), insecticides (23%), fungicides (23%), seed treatments (1%), and others (8%).
The analysis was based on the Treated Area Potential (PAT) metric, which considers the number of applications and the number of products in the tank used to control various pests, diseases, and weeds. The total treated area is represented by soybeans (56%), corn (16%), cotton (8%), pasture (5%), sugarcane (4%), wheat (3%), beans (2%), fruits and vegetables (2%), citrus (1%), coffee (1%), rice (1%), and others (2%).
The market value, measured by the final price paid by the consumer, reached $18 billion in 2024, representing a 10.3% decrease compared to the previous year, when it was recorded at $21 billion.
Regionally, the crop protection market value is primarily concentrated in Mato Grosso and Rondônia (28%), São Paulo and Minas Gerais (18%), Bamatopiba (15%), Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina (11%), Paraná (10%), Mato Grosso do Sul (8%), Goiás and the Federal District (8%), and other regions (3%). This growth is attributed to higher pest infestations, including caterpillars, leafhoppers, and whiteflies.
For the 2024/2025 season, the projected treated area with crop protection products is expected to grow by 6%, maintaining the over 2 billion hectares recorded the previous year. This area is expected to be distributed among soybeans (55%), corn (17%), cotton (8%), pasture (5%), sugarcane (4%), wheat (3%), beans (2%), fruits and vegetables (2%), coffee (1%), citrus (1%), rice (1%), and others (1%).
In soybeans, the treated area is expected to grow by 7%, with a focus on controlling stink bugs (4.9%) and caterpillars (14.6%).
By Wellington Torres / Revista Cultivar