BRASÍLIA: Brazilian regulators paved the way Oct. 6 for imports of U.S. corn following a short crop, according to industry sources. The National Biosafety Technical Commission, known as CTNBio, met and authorized the outstanding biotech products needed to open the Brazilian market for U.S. corn exports. Local industry is expected to bring in as much as 1.5 million metric tons in the coming months to meet their feed grain needs, according to a news release from the U.S. Grains Council.
Brazil has faced a significant shortfall in its 2015-16 corn crop, with an estimated 16 million metric tons less produced this year than in 2014-15. This has halved exports and prompted imports from regional producers Argentina and Paraguay. To date, the United States has not been able to fill the demand due to lack of approvals of some biotech products used by U.S. farmers.
The trades between countries that typically compete for corn sales shows the fluidity and diversity in the global grain market, in which U.S. producers are typically able to cover grain needs when crops are short. In turn, the United States typically imports a small amount of corn from Brazil each year based on logistical costs and other factors. In 2012-13, following a major drought, the U.S. was Brazil’s fourth largest customer.
USGC staff and consultants in the organization’s Washington, D.C., office and the region have worked with biotech companies, Brazilian industry and the USDA as permission was being sought for U.S. imports. Recently, Cary Sifferath, USGC senior director of global programs, and Alfredo Navarro, the council’s consultant in Brazil, traveled to Sao Paulo to meet with key industry organizations and USDA Foreign Agricultural Service staff in Brazil to assess the situation and provide information on the U.S. corn market.
