BrazzilMag

The representative of Brazil's National Confederation of Agriculture (CNA), Alécio Maróstica, informed that Asian rust, a disease that attacks soybeans, caused a five million ton crop failure last year in Brazil.

The head of the Presidential Civilian Advisory Staff, Minister José Dirceu, criticized some people's concern over inflationary pressures. "Many people think that there is no inflationary pressure in Brazil, that there is no need to raise interest rates. I myself expected that interest rates would be down to 13% in December.

Negotiators from the European Union and Mercosur have decided to begin a concentrated effort to reach an agreement on free trade within the scheduled time frame which should end on October 31.

The president of Brazil's Central Workers' Union (CUT), Luiz Marinho, and Paulo Skaf, recently elected president of the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp), called today for economic growth and declared their opposition to an economic policy of raising the benchmark interest rate (Selic) to fight inflation.

What grew 4.5% a year in Brazil between 1991 and 2000? Unfortunately it was not the economy; it was the number of people living in favelas (urban slums), reports the government statistical bureau (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística) (IBGE).

Brazil has the second largest world pet population, estimated at 27 million dogs and 11 million cats. Figures supplied by the National Association of Animal Food Manufacturers (Anfal-Pet) show that the country is currently the second largest world pet food market in terms of volume, with a production of 1.2 million tons, and the fifth in terms of revenues, at US$ 1.2 billion a year.

In Brazil, the expectations of the financial market regarding inflation are increasingly pessimistic and suggest that the Broad Consumer Price Index (IPCA) will end the year at 7.37%, versus last week's estimate of 7.29%.

Brazil's Consumer Price Index (INPC) rose 0.5% in August, compared to 0.73% in July, reports the government statistical bureau (IBGE). In August 2003 the INPC rose 0.18%.

“What disc?” I can hear you asking in indignation. True enough, there is no disc. Or rather, there is, but it’s never been released. Released or not, it’s here, and since it is, and was recorded one August 42 years ago, and has long been touted as a major landmark of bossa nova, and since August 2004 cries out for a refreshing breeze, here comes the long overdue review.