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According to CNN Brasil, the Brazilian government concluded negotiations that opened the market for the export of corn DDG, a byproduct of ethanol production, to five countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, potato pollen for genetic research in Peru, and breeding horses to Togo. With these authorizations, Brazilian agribusiness totals 609 market openings since the beginning of 2023.
Brazilian agribusiness has just conquered three new export fronts that illustrate the diversity of what the country is capable of selling to the world. The most significant of these is the authorization to export corn DDG, a byproduct generated in ethanol manufacturing, to the five countries that form the Eurasian Economic Union: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan. DDG is used in animal feed and represents an expanding market as Brazilian corn ethanol production grows rapidly. The negotiations were conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE).
The other two market openings involve products that few associate with conventional agribusiness. Peru authorized the import of Brazilian potato pollen for research and plant breeding purposes, while Togo, in West Africa, opened its doors to Brazilian horses intended for reproduction. With these three announcements, Brazil has reached the mark of 609 markets opened for agribusiness since 2023, a pace of commercial expansion that reflects both the negotiating capacity of Brazilian diplomacy and the breadth of the national agricultural portfolio.
What is DDG and why is this byproduct of interest to five countries
DDG is the acronym for Dried Distillers Grains. It is a solid byproduct that remains after the fermentation and distillation of corn in ethanol production. Rich in proteins, fibers, and nutrients, DDG is used as an ingredient in feed formulations for cattle, pigs, and poultry, partially replacing more expensive protein sources like soybean meal. For the corn ethanol industry, the commercialization of this byproduct is an additional revenue that improves the economic equation of each liter of fuel produced.
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The authorization to export corn DDG to the Eurasian Economic Union opens a market of five countries that imported over US$ 1.4 billion in Brazilian agricultural products in 2025. Russia and Belarus, the two largest members of the bloc, are livestock powers that demand significant volumes of animal feed inputs. The arrival of the Brazilian byproduct in this market adds to already consolidated exports of coffee, animal proteins, and tobacco, diversifying the trade agenda between Brazil and the Eurasian bloc.
DDG production in Brazil is in full expansion
The context that makes this market opening especially relevant is the accelerated growth of corn ethanol production in Brazil. Sector estimates indicate that DDG production could exceed 15 million tons by 2030, accompanying the expansion of corn ethanol plants concentrated mainly in Mato Grosso and Goiás. Each ton of corn processed for ethanol generates approximately one-third of its weight in byproduct, meaning that the more ethanol Brazil produces, the more DDG will be available for export.
This growing volume of byproduct needs commercial destinations to avoid pressuring prices in the domestic market. Brazil has already made significant shipments of DDG to other destinations, such as the 45,000 tons recently sent to Turkey. The opening of the Eurasian market expands outflow options and allows Brazilian producers to negotiate with more buyers, reducing dependence on a few destinations and strengthening bargaining power in price negotiations.
Potato pollen for Peru: science as an export product
Peru’s authorization to import Brazilian potato pollen may seem like a curiosity, but it carries strategic importance for both countries. The pollen will be used in plant research and genetic improvement programs, an area where the exchange of genetic material between different producing regions is essential to develop varieties more resistant to pests, diseases, and climate change. Peru is the center of origin of the potato and houses the largest germplasm bank of the tuber in the world, which makes scientific cooperation with Brazil especially valuable.
Peru imported over US$ 729 million in Brazilian agricultural products in 2025, with a focus on forest products, animal proteins, soy complex items, cereals, and flours. The opening for potato pollen adds a scientific dimension to a commercial relationship that is already robust in the field of traditional products. For Brazilian agribusiness, each new type of product authorized for export represents an additional layer of complexity and value in the trade agenda.
Breeding horses for Togo: animal genetics crosses the Atlantic
The third market opening announced involves the export of Brazilian horses destined for breeding to Togo, a West African country. The authorization opens space for business related to animal genetics, a segment in which Brazil has recognized competence, especially in breeds such as Mangalarga Marchador, Quarter Horse, and others that combine rusticity and performance. For Togo, the import of Brazilian breeding stock can contribute to the improvement of local equine herds.
In 2025, Togo imported over US$ 148 million in Brazilian agricultural products, with a focus on sugar-alcohol complex items, animal proteins, and leather. The addition of breeding horses to the trade agenda between the two countries is another example of how Brazilian agribusiness finds opportunities in markets that many would consider unlikely. Africa has been one of the focuses of Brazilian commercial diplomacy, with market openings for live cattle and genetic material in several countries on the continent in recent years.
609 open markets: what this number means
The milestone of 609 market openings for Brazilian agribusiness since the beginning of 2023 translates into a diplomatic and technical effort involving sanitary, phytosanitary, and regulatory negotiations with dozens of countries. Each market opening requires Brazil to prove the safety and quality of its products to the authorities of the importing country, a process that can take months or years of technical analysis, inspections, and exchange of documents between governments. DDG byproduct for the Eurasian Economic Union, potato pollen for Peru, and horses for Togo are three recent results of this continuous work.
The pace of 609 openings in just over two years indicates that Brazil is prioritizing the diversification of destinations for its agricultural products. This strategy reduces the sector’s vulnerability to bilateral crises, tariff or sanitary barriers imposed by a single buyer. When a market closes or imposes restrictions, the existence of dozens of other already open destinations allows for redirecting commercial flow with more agility. For a country that exported US$ 9.2 billion in agricultural products in April alone, diversification is not a luxury, it is a necessity.
From byproduct to opportunity: Brazilian agribusiness finds markets where no one expected
Corn DDG for Russia, potato pollen for Peru, and breeding horses for Togo. The three products announced in this round of market openings show that Brazilian agribusiness is not limited to soy, meat, and coffee. The sector exports everything from industrial byproducts to plant and animal genetic material, reaching markets from Eurasia to West Africa. The milestone of 609 openings since 2023 is the concrete measure of this expansion.
Did you know that Brazil even exports corn ethanol byproduct to Russia? Tell us in the comments what surprised you most on this list of products: DDG, potato pollen, or horses for Africa. And if you work in agribusiness, share how these market openings impact your sector. We want to hear from those who live this reality.
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