MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil's GDP expected to rise 2% in 2019, says farmers' lobby CNA

Jair Bolsonaro named the head of Congress’ farm caucus, Tereza Cristina, to be his agriculture minister.

Brazil's agriculture gross domestic product is expected to rise 2% year-on-year in 2019, compared to a forecasted drop of 1.6% this year, farmer’s union CNA said. CNA laid out an optimistic view for 2019 with positive outlooks for Brazil’s economy and agriculture policy.

This year’s contraction was attributed mostly to a truckers’ strike in May that paralyzed the country’s roadways, driving up the price of agriculture inputs and hurting the sector’s ability to bring farm products to market.

Farmers were major backers of right-wing President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, who will assume office on Jan. 1 and is expected to embrace the agenda of the agribusiness lobby. Bolsonaro named the head of Congress’ farm caucus, Tereza Cristina, to be his agriculture minister.

The country’s grain output is expected to grow further in the next crop season from the 228 million tons harvested in 2017/18 thanks to favorable climate conditions, CNA said.

Soy output is seen rising 5-6 percent in 2018/19, according to an analyst for the group.