Area treated with pesticides grows 1,8% in the 1st quarter of 2025

Between January and March 2025, the area treated with pesticides in Brazil grew by 1,8% compared to the same period in the previous year, totaling more than 831 million hectares. The data comes from a survey commissioned by the National Union of the Plant Protection Products Industry (Sindiveg) and carried out by the company Kynetec Brasil.

The study indicates that the volume of products applied to control pests, diseases and weeds increased by 3,4% in the first quarter of the year. The distribution by category is composed of herbicides (42%), insecticides (28%), fungicides (22%), seed treatment (1%) and others, such as adjuvants, growth regulators and inoculants (7%).

For the evaluation, the PAT metric (Potential Treated Area or Treated Area per Product) was adopted, which considers both the number of applications and the number of products present in the tank during management. The crops with the greatest representation in the treated area were corn (36%), soybeans (35%), cotton (13%), pastures (7%), sugarcane (3%), fruit and vegetables (1%) and other crops (5%).

11,1% drop in revenue

Despite the increase in area and volume, the market recorded a decline in the values ​​moved. Revenue, calculated based on prices paid by farmers, reached US$ 6,6 billion, a drop of 11,1% compared to the US$ 7,4 billion recorded in the same quarter of 2024.

Regionally, the market potential in the period analyzed was concentrated in Mato Grosso and Rondônia (37%), followed by Bamatopiba (Bahia, Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí and Pará), with 16%, São Paulo and Minas Gerais (14%), Paraná (10%), Mato Grosso do Sul (8%), Goiás and Distrito Federal (8%), Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina (5%) and other regions (2%).

Closing of 2024 indicates a 12,2% increase in the treated area

In 2024, the area treated with pesticides increased by 12,2% compared to 2023, reaching the mark of more than 2,5 billion hectares. The first quarter (48%) and the fourth quarter (34%) concentrated most of the application activities.

In terms of volume, the increase was 13,6%, with herbicides representing 45% of the total, fungicides 23%, insecticides 22%, seed treatments 1% and other categories 8%.

The amount paid by farmers totaled US$ 19,9 billion, a drop of 6,6% compared to 2023. The main factors that impacted this market reduction were the drop in prices and exchange rate movements due to the devaluation of the real.