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Brazil farmer lobby asks to lift soybean restriction from deforested Amazon rainforest

A farmers' lobby in Brazil is seeking to end a twodecadelong contract that forbids grain traders from buying soybeans from farms on deforested land in the Amazon jungle, claiming the offer has produced an irregular playing field.

Soybean farmer lobby Aprosoja-MT based in western Mato Grosso state said on Wednesday that the arrangement fostered a. acquiring cartel while hurting farmers who strictly comply. with the South American country's forest code.

The group stated in a declaration that it officially asked. antitrust watchdog CADE to end the offer.

Brazil is the world's biggest soybean grower and exporter,. with Mato Grosso the nation's top-producing state.

International product giants consisting of ADM and Bunge. voluntarily signed up for the Amazon soy moratorium in. the mid-2000s, promising to stop buying soy from farms in the. rain forest that were deforested from 2008.

Under forestry rules, Amazon landowners can clear up to 20%. of their property. But an early 2000s deforestation rise. sparked require action by companies that feared a wider ban.

Scientists and conservationists have actually applauded the moratorium. for slowing logging in the Amazon, the world's biggest. rain forest and a bulwark versus climate modification since its trees. take in huge amounts of climate-warming greenhouse gases.

Aprosoja-MT noted it filed a problem to CADE after years. of failed settlement efforts, adding that the moratorium. generated 20 billion reais ($ 3.3 billion) in losses for the. state.

CADE did not right away respond to a request for remark.

Earlier this year, Mato Grosso state legislators passed a law. removing tax breaks from companies sticking to the moratorium.

Our dedication is with the households who have been harmed. for almost 20 years, Aprosoja stated in a separate declaration.

Last week, environmentalists accused grain traders of. seeking to damage the moratorium.

Trader lobby Abiove has stated it was holding discussions on. the moratorium, but without entering into more detail.

Requested talk about Wednesday, Abiove stated it had no. update.

(source: Reuters)