In 2007, the Brazilian agriculture industry increased 5.0%, a result considerably above the one recorded in 2006 (1.5%), however, below the rate of 6.0% registered by the national industry.
The expansion of sectors related to agriculture (4.9%), with major participation in the agriculture industry, surpassed the ones related to livestock (2.8%).
The group of insecticides, herbicides and other agricultural pesticides had a strong increase (22.6%), due mainly, to their major use in the crops of soybeans, sugar cane, corn and cotton. The segment of wood decreased 6.1%.
In quarterly basis, the agriculture industry had positive results in the four periods of 2007. After growing 6.9% in the first quarter, decelerated in the second quarter (3.3%) and in the third quarter (1.8%), returning to show a good dynamism in the fourth quarter (9.3%).
The good performance of agriculture occurred as a consequence of the good climatic conditions and to the increase of use of adobes and fertilizers and agriculture pesticides, which contributed to the record grain harvest of 2007.
According to data of the Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production (LSPA), the harvest of 2007 was 133.0 million tons of grains, a result 13.7% greater than the one of 2006 (117.0 million tons), and 7.0% major than the record harvest of 2003 (124.3 million tons).