Industryprojectssoybeanprocessing
volumesat41.5milliontonsin2017,
up5%involumefromthe39.531million
tonsinthepreviousyear
T
he industry is preparing to pro-
cess ever larger soybean vol-
umes, although kernel ship-
ments still prevail. The forecast
is for crushing 41.5 million tons
in 2017, and 43 million tons in 2018. The
positive projections were disclosed by the
Brazilian Vegetable Oil Industries Associ-
ation (Abiove), in September 2017. These
increases are supposed to rely on bigger
soybean supply in 2017 and by the expec-
tation of an anticipation of the 10% blend-
ing (B10) of biodiesel with diesel for March
2018. But the federal government had not
yet authorized the mixture of present 8%
(B8) to 10%as of March 2018.
If soybean processing volumes reach
the 41.5 million tons estimated for 2017,
it will represent an extra 5% to the 39.531
million tons crushed in the previous year.
Over thepast years, the largest volume that
was crushed amounted to 40.556 million
tons in 2015. Abiove officials stress that the
industrial sector has been adversely affect-
ed by the recession since the second half of
2014. Besides operating with very narrow
margins, the vegetable oil industry was
also hit by the effects from the declining
economic activity in 2016. Domestic soy
meal consumption, for example, dropped
1.1%, by virtue of the smaller production of
chicken meat. However, the volume of oil
estimated for consumptionand for thepro-
duction of biodiesel soared 0.9%.
Despite the promising expectations for
the next years, from January to July 2017,
the industry had processed 19.041 millions
of tons of soybean, down 3.305 million tons
from the same period in the previous year.
Each ton of processed soybean results into
80%meal and 20% raw oil. Therefore, if the
crushed volume rises, the production of
these two byproducts also soars. The en-
tity had anticipated that the production of
soy meal could amount to 31.5 million tons
and the production of oil to 8.2 million tons
in 2017, up 4.2% and 4%, respectively.
Brazil, as largest exporter of soybeans
in the world, will continue directing more
raw material to the foreign market than
to the processing industry. Shipments of
soybeans should soar 24.1% in 2017, com-
pared to 5% in processed volume. There-
fore, despite the huge amount of revenue
from kernel shipments, the Country will
not factor in the value that industrializa-
tion could add to the Brazilian economy as
a whole. According to Abiove sources, the
shipments of the soybean complex (kernel,
meal and oil) could bring in revenue of US$
29.823 billion in 2017. In previous years,
revenue reached US$ 25.422 billion in 2016
and US$ 27.959 billion in 2015. Higher rev-
enues reflect the bigger volumes, as pric-
es have been on the decline in the interna-
tional market since 2015.
For the
benefit
of all
Increase inproductionanddemand for biodiesel drives soybean crushing forward
According to Abiove officials, the pro-
cessing companies of the soybean complex
face the lack of profitability and the loss of
international competitiveness, because of
the accumulation of tax credits, still with-
out any perspective of being realized in the
short run. Since 2013, the vegetable oil in-
dustries had no taxed sales of meal and oil
to pass on their credits to the Social Inte-
grationProgram(PIS) and the Contribution
for Financing social Security (Cofins), with
the exception of biodiesel. “The industry
plays a strategic role in the Gross Domes-
tic Product (PIB), in the balance of trade,
generation of jobs and in regional develop-
ment”, say Abiove officials.
n
Sílvio Ávila
50
* Estimativa.
** Projeção – setembro de 2017.
Fonte/elaboração:
Abiove – Coordenadoria de
Economia e Estatística.
em etapas
in stages
Os números da industrialização
da soja no Brasil (1.000 t)
2016
Volume
Estoque inicial
1.831
Produção
96.199
Processamento
39.531
Exportação
51.582
Estoque final
4.299
2017*
Volume
Estoque inicial
4.299
Produção
113.800
Processamento
41.500
Exportação
64.000
Estoque final
9.79
2018**
Volume
Estoque inicial
9.799
Produção
108.500
Processamento
43.000
Exportação
64.000
Estoque final
7.299
