The parallel trade in pesticides, which would represent about 20% of the entire Brazilian market, according to a lobby group, highlights supply chain risks faced by global grain traders in farm powerhouse Brazil.
Increasingly, criminals are using structures involving front companies that arrange false invoices, produce fake labels, smuggle and move the illegal products.
For example, authorities tested batches of seized insecticide Thiamethoxam that showed a 95% concentration of the active ingredient, whereas the highest concentration allowed in Brazil is 50%, the PRF said.
Last year, the industry welcomed a new law setting harsher penalties for those producing, storing or shipping illegal pesticides in Brazil.
The new law was signed as seizures of illegal pesticides rose threefold in eight years, to 195.7 tons in 2023, according to PRF data.
Persons:
Ana Mano, Criminals, Brazil's, Aurora Ellis
Organizations:
Ana Mano SAO PAULO, Reuters, Basf, Bayer
Locations:
Brazil, China, India