Bolsonaro told Bharti his government was committed to “unlocking” fertilizer projects such as the potash mine that are strategic for Brazil, said former Senator Cidinho Santos, who attended the meeting, in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
But the decision to allow the mine at Autazes, 75 miles (120 kms) southeast of the state capital Manaus, is not entirely up to Bolsonaro. The project now depends on a ruling by Federal Judge Jaiza Fraxe, who is monitoring talks with the Mura people to make sure they have a fair say.
As potash prices tripled last year and war has threatened supplies from Russia and Eastern Europe, pressure to open the potash mine has grown from Brazil’s farm sector, which relies on imports for 85% of its fertilizer, needed to raise crop yields.
Brazil, the world’s largest producer of soybeans, depends on potash imports from China, Canada and Morocco, but mostly Russia and Belarus for nearly half…
