Brazil could open up 43M hectares for farms

SAO PAULO — Brazil, which accounts for seven percent of the world’s grain output, has potential to expand arable land for agriculture on an estimated 43 million hectares in the vast central Cerrado region, a grain producer said on Wednesday. Aurélio Pavinato, chief executive of SLC Agrícola SA, told an industry event that such an area could be used to raise grains and sugarcane output in the South American nation. Brazil is expected to account for about 18% of the global grains exports in the 2018/19 season. The country is poised to produce 235 million tons of grains in the present cycle, with grain exports forecast to reach 107 million tons, Mr. Pavinato said, adding that “Brazil could free up to 70 million hectares of pasture land for agriculture in the space of between 30 or 40 years.” —