Absent from his third term, the president (PT) and his government were daily targets of pre-candidates who attended the main agribusiness fair in the country and who are already planning new joint agendas at events of this kind.
The president was represented at the opening of the event, in Ribeirão Preto (313 km from São Paulo), by his vice, Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), accompanied by ministers, but not even the purchase of agricultural machinery with interest rates below 10% – the basic interest rate is 14.5% per year – was enough to reduce the gap between the PT member and agribusiness.
On the contrary. The fact that the financing line for the sector was not available to businesses during the five days of the fair was fuel for more criticism of the government. In addition to Faesp (São Paulo State Livestock Federation) classifying the announcement as the “day of no announcement”, Lula was attacked daily by his possible opponents in the electoral dispute, starting with the senator (PL-RJ) and passing through the former governors (Novo), of Minas Gerais, and (PSD), of Goiás. Aldo Rebelo (DC) and (Avante), also pre-candidates, were at the event.
Agrishow (International Agricultural Technology in Action Fair) ended on Friday (1st) with –R$ 11.4 billion, compared to R$ 15.2 billion (value updated for inflation) of the 2025 edition.
The agricultural sector, especially grain producers in the Center-West, shows dissatisfaction with the persistence of the high Selic –despite two recent drops–, and with the low price of commodities, and the opposition to Lula criticizes especially the interest rates, arguing that the government does not reduce public spending. There was also criticism of the STF (Supreme Federal Court) during the fair.
Soy is sold for around R$130 per 60 kg bag, according to Cepea (Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics), from Esalq/USP, much lower than the R$184 at the beginning of the Lula 3 government and the more than R$200 it reached in 2022, under the Jair Bolsonaro (PL) administration.
Leaders of agricultural associations, executives from machine manufacturers and businesspeople interviewed by the Sheet at Agrishow they said that the PT member may be able to reduce the current rejection of the sector if he presents a robust Harvest Plan, although they say they do not believe that this will happen.
A reflection of the difficulties, they point out, are the decline in business generated at the main fairs in the segment. Before the decline in business in Ribeirão, another major fair in the sector, Tecnoshow, in Rio Verde (GO), saw business decline 30% this year, after generating R$10 billion in last year’s edition.
Since there was an imbroglio in 2023 between the Lula government and the organization of the fair in Ribeirão Preto due to the possibility of former president Bolsonaro’s participation in the opening ceremony that year, the official opening ceremony began to take place on Sundays, and no longer on Mondays.
This also caused the separation of political spectrums at the event this year: at the opening, there were representatives of the federal government and, in the following days, visits from right-wing politicians with positions or pre-candidates.
“We’re going to be together in Presidente Prudente, at Feicorte, and so on. We’re going to have a series of agendas together so we can show that Brazil has skills, has a great project and that this project is with Flávio Bolsonaro”, said the governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), in a press conference alongside the senator, on the first day of the fair open to the public.
Feicorte (International Meat Production Chain Fair) brings together breeds on display such as Nelore, Brahman, Brangus, Canchim, Caracu, Sindi, Santa Gertrudis and Wagyu and, last year, it became one for the former president.
The two, as well as Zema and Caiado, walked through the streets of the fair to greet and talk to farmers, which did not happen during Alckmin’s visit, on a closed ticket day and with restricted access to authorities, sector entities and the press. Agrishow received 197,000 visitors over the five-day event.
Wearing a black t-shirt with the phrase “No More Untouchables”, Zema said in Ribeirão that he defends a STF “without a tail tied” and that the court seeks to avoid investigations.
Caiado, on Wednesday (29), stated that he is a real defender of agribusiness, since the sector did not have the current projection.
“I’m an agro-root, I’m not an agro-flavor, like some are. I’m going to do what I said. I have 40 years of public life, I’m not here with a parachute. When agriculture wasn’t pop or tech, Caiado defended this sector. So this is my home, I’m not just coming as a guest, I’m coming here as part of a fight in favor of Brazilian agriculture”, he stated.
Aldo, who was at the fair on the same day, also criticized the STF for the institution’s possibility of “stopping” the country. Cury, in turn, participated in an event at the Faesp stand and said that “agro lives” in his heart. “I’ve been a farmer for more than three decades and I’ve been going to Agrishow for decades too.”
