Magda Chambriard announces the resumption of national fertilizer production by Petrobras.
The state-owned company's president projects that it will meet 35% of the market demand with new factories by 2028 and reduce import dependence in the agricultural sector.
247 - Petrobras President Magda Chambriard announced on Tuesday (22) that the state-owned company will resume large-scale fertilizer production in Brazil, aiming to meet 35% of the national demand for urea by 2028. The statement was made during the 5th Ordinary Meeting of the National Fertilizer Council (Confert), held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC), and reported by Agência Gov.
Currently, about 85% of the nitrogen fertilizers used by Brazilian agriculture are imported. According to Chambriard, this dependence will be significantly reduced with the start of operations at four Petrobras units located in Paraná (Araucária), Bahia and Espírito Santo (Fafen), and Mato Grosso do Sul (UFN-III, in Três Lagoas).
"Agribusiness and the oil sector are merging more and more. And fertilizer is an excellent opportunity for us to expand our gas market," said Magda Chambriard.
The resumption of fertilizer production is part of Petrobras' investment plan for the period 2025 to 2029, with a projected investment of R$ 900 million. In addition to contributing to food security, the projects are expected to generate between 13 and 15 direct and indirect jobs, boosting industrial and regional development.
The president of Petrobras also highlighted partnerships with Embrapa to develop highly efficient fertilizers, focusing on the production of urea, ammonia, and ARLA, using cleaner and more modern technologies.
Alckmin reinforces the importance of fertilizers for agriculture.
During the Confert meeting, chaired by the vice-president and Minister of MDIC, Geraldo Alckmin, the issue of self-sufficiency in fertilizers was highlighted as strategic for the future of Brazilian agribusiness.
"Brazil is a major producer and exporter of animal and vegetable protein. This year, we will have a record harvest, 10% larger. And the demand for fertilizers is growing," declared Alckmin.
Bio-inputs are gaining ground in national policy.
The meeting also approved the inclusion of 16 new projects in Confert's Strategic Project Portfolio. Among them, 14 are from Embrapa — 11 focused on the development of biofertilizers, biostimulants, and bioinoculators, such as the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria for forest species.
Another highlight was the project by Prumo Logística, which proposes the creation of a Low Carbon Hydrogen Hub at the Port of Açu, in Rio de Janeiro, with the integrated production of green hydrogen and its derivatives, such as methanol and ammonia.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) also presented an initiative to regulate the Bioinputs Law, sanctioned in December 2024. The law establishes guidelines for the production, inspection, marketing, and use of bioinputs in the country, including production by farmers themselves and incentives for research.
With this agenda of reindustrialization and strengthening of the agricultural input chain, Brazil is moving towards productive sovereignty, combining the expertise of Petrobras, the innovation of Embrapa, and the support of the federal government to consolidate a new cycle of sustainable agricultural development.
