What is Brazil Known for Producing? If you think that are the greatest soccer players on the planet, you’re not wrong. But we have the best players and a lot more. If you ever wondered why Brazil is the biggest economy in South America, you’re about to discover.
Brazil is known as the biggest producer and exporter of Bovine Meat and Coffee in the entire world, being responsible for 32% of the production of coffee on the globe. Also, the country is the second-biggest producer of Soy and the largest producer of Sugar Cane.
Do you think this is impressive? There’s a lot more. Let’s check the Top Ten Agricultural Products in Brazil.
What is Brazil Known For Producing? Top Ten Agricultural Products in Brazil
Since the beginning of its history, Brazil has a vocation to export commodities, especially agriculturally based. According to MAPA (Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply), the segments with the largest volume of sales are Soy, Sugar Cane, Corn, and Meat.
- Soy
- Sugar Cane
- Coffee
- Corn
- Cotton
- Orange
- Cassava
- Rice
- Cocoa
- Tobacco
Grow agricultural crops in a country with continental dimensions is a big challenge, but Brazilian farmers are rocking it in an environment with six different biomes.
Soy
Brazil is the second largest-producer of Soy on the planet, only losing to the United States. The Brazilian state of Mato Grosso is the biggest producer of the grain, followed by my beloved state, Paraná.
Sugar Cane
One of the foundations of the beginning of Brazilian history. Sugar Cane was the first extensive agricultural crop used on Brazilian soil and was the main responsible for making the country’s colonization economically viable.
Brazil is one of the largest consumers and is THE largest producer in the world. Sugar Cane can be benefited as sugar, for human consumption, or ethanol, used mainly as fuel.
Coffee
Brazil is the world’s largest producer and exporter of coffee with crops that could easily fit more than 2 million soccer fields. The quality and variety of the grains produced are the main reason why all the countries want to buy our coffee.
Corn
From human consumption to extensive livestock, corn is among the main grains produced in Brazil.
The country is the third-largest corn producer in the world. The first two places are the United States and China. The cultivated area with Corn in Brazil surpasses 16.5 million hectares.
Cotton
Alongside soy, it is one of the grain crops with the highest liquidity and profitability.
States like Mato Grosso and Bahia have the best climatic conditions for cotton production. However, its production requires high standards of technology and management.
Orange
Brazil is the largest orange producer in the world. Responsible for more than 30% of global production, the country is far from losing this position: the second place, the USA, is responsible for just over 10% of production.
Please, from now on, always remember Brazil when drinking your Orange Juice 🙂
Cassava
Cassava, also known as Manioc or Yuca, is a root of very high nutritional value and is overpopulated in Brazil. The country is the world’s second-largest producer of cassava, with 10% of world production, second only to Nigeria.
If you never tried “Mandioca Frita” (Fried Cassava), you should. It’s awesome.
Rice
Outside of Asia, which is responsible for 90% of the world’s production, Brazil is not only the largest consumer of Rice but also the largest producer.
The state that produces the largest harvest in Brazil is the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which accounts for 70% of national production, followed by Santa Catarina (that is also the state with my personal favorite beaches in the entire country).
Cocoa
Ok, you’re still not grateful for the fact that Brazil is producing part of your Sugar, your Orange juice, and your Coffee, Brazil’s also responsible for your Chocolate!
Cocoa is one of those agricultural products whose history mixes with the history of Brazil. Today, the country is one of the largest cocoa producers in the world, along with African countries such as Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. About 90% of all cocoa produced in Brazil is exported.
Tobacco
Continuing in the subject of addictions (like Sugar and Chocolate), as controversial as the tobacco industry is, it is undoubtedly very profitable. And what many people do not know is that Brazil is the 2nd largest tobacco producer in the world. The 1st place is occupied by China.
The South Region of Brazil (where I live) concentrates almost 100% of the national tobacco production (and I don’t smoke, what a poser).
Brazil is The Largest Bovine Meat Exporter in The World
You just saw a list with the Top Ten Agricultural Products in Brazil but you still not impressed because you’re a Meat Eater? Well, now it’s the time when you get knocked out.
According to the FAO, the world has 1.468 billion head of cattle. Brazil has the largest cattle inventory in the world, with approximately 211.7 million animals, followed by India and China.
| Rank | Country | Head | % Of Total |
| 1 | Brazil | 211,764,292 | 14.43% |
| 2 | India | 189,000,000 | 12.88% |
| 3 | China | 113,500,000 | 7.73% |
| 4 | United States | 89,299,600 | 6.08% |
| 5 | Ethiopia | 54,000,000 | 3.68% |
| 6 | Argentina | 51,095,000 | 3.48% |
| 7 | Sudan | 41,917,000 | 2.86% |
| 8 | Pakistan | 38,299,000 | 2.61% |
| 9 | Mexico | 32,402,461 | 2.21% |
| 10 | Australia | 29,290,769 | 2.00% |
Also, the country is consistently between the top-3 bovine meat exports in the world and was the largest exporter in 2020, with more than 2 million tons commercialized.
Top Seven Minerals Extracted from Brazil
The sum of these corresponds to 98.6% of the Brazilian mineral production that is traded:
- Iron
- Gold
- Copper
- Manganese
- Tin
- Niobium
- Aluminum
Iron
Iron is the most exported ore in Brazil, accounting for 68% of exports in the Brazilian mineral sector (IBRAM, 2020).
Gold
Currently, Brazil is in 11th place in the exploration of gold ore and its main mines are located in the states of Pará, Goiás, Mato Grosso, and Minas Gerais, as well as in Bahia, Amapá, and Maranhão.
Copper
Copper is widely used for the production of materials that conduct electricity (wires and cables), and in metallic alloys such as brass and bronze, and for this reason, it is one of the main ores mined in Brazil.
The mines in which copper ore is mined in Brazil occur only in the states of Pará, Goiás, and Bahia.
Manganese
Manganese is the twelfth most abundant element on earth and occurs in nature as oxide, silicate hydroxide and carbonates, however, only a few minerals are considered mineral-ores.
The main deposits of manganese occur in the states of Pará and Mato Grosso do Sul, being responsible for 90% of manganese production in Brazil. In addition to these states, the ore is mined in Goiás, Ceará, and Bahia.
Tin
Tin is one of the main ores mined in Brazil and has Cassiterite and Hematite as their main minerals, being used to produce several metallic alloys, mainly for their corrosion protection.
Brazil has approximately 9% of the world’s reserves of tin contained in cassiterite, being the third largest reserve in the world.
Niobium
As maiores reservas ativas de nióbio, em torno de 98,4%, estão no Brasil. Em segundo e terceiro lugar estão Canadá e Austrália, respectivamente, com apenas 1,11% e 0,46%.
The states of Minas Gerais, Amazonas, and Goiás are the owners of the largest national reserves.
Aluminum
Aluminum ore is among the main ores mined in Brazil and is most commonly found in the earth’s crust as bauxite. Aluminum oxide is present in its composition and it functions as the most important raw material for the production of metallic aluminum.
The main aluminum producing states in Brazil are Pará, Minas Gerais and, Maranhão.
Satisfied with What is Brazil Known for Producing?
Yes, this is just a small part of What is Brazil Known for Producing, but I hope it gives you a more complex view of how great and important this country is for world economy.
If you liked the content, feel free to share it with a friend or leave a comment. I will love to reply to you 🙂
