In the heartland of Mato Grosso, Rondonópolis accumulated an impressive US$1.8 billion from exports between January and July 2023.
This substantial revenue entirely stemmed from the city’s agribusiness sector.
Surpassing the export earnings of eleven Brazilian states, including the Federal District, Rondonópolis stands out on the national map.
To put it into perspective, states like Pernambuco and Ceará garnered US$1.2 billion each in the same period.
Other states left behind in this race include Piauí, Amazonas, and Acre, with Acre’s earnings amounting to just US$31 million from international sales.
A significant portion of Rondonópolis’s export comes from the soy complex.
Approximately US$646 million was earned from directly selling soybeans to foreign markets.
However, the leading contributors to the city’s international trade revenue were by-products from soy oil production, accounting for half the total earnings.
As Ricardo Arioli, an expert from the National Commission of Cereals, Fibers, and Oilseeds, explains, when soy oil is extracted from the grain, what remains is a by-product that is an essential ingredient in animal feed due to its high protein content.
Furthermore, among the top five exported products, beef took the second spot (US$74 million), followed by soy oil (US$65 million), cotton (US$55 million), and corn (US$46 million).
With a population approaching 250,000, as reported by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, Rondonópolis has witnessed rapid economic growth over the past few decades, primarily fueled by the agribusiness sector.