12/10/2004 EFE NEWS SERVICE - Brazilian agricultural exports broke theSouth American nation's record for a year in the first 11 months of 2004,the government reported Wednesday.

Through the end of November such exports totaled $36.037 billion.

Foreign sales of agricultural products between January and November wereup 29.2 percent over the same period in 2003 and were the largest sincethe government began keeping records in 1989, according to an AgricultureMinistry communique.

The value of agricultural exports also surpassed the $30.639 billion totalfor 2003, the previous record.

According to the communique, the agricultural sector was responsible for41.3 percent of Brazil's total exports between January and November.

Agriculture Minister Roberto Rodrigues said the statistics indicate Brazilwill end the year with a $33 billion trade surplus, far larger than the$24.794 billion reported in 2003, a record at the time.

The big increase in agricultural exports in 2004 was primarily accountedfor by sales of soy, which increased 27.3 percent compared with the first11 months of 2003, meat (up 52 percent), wood (up 46.5 percent), milkproducts (up 48 percent), coffee (up 31 percent), and sugar and alcohol(up 40 percent).

Last year, Brazil was the world's leading exporter of soy, meat andcoffee, and, according to official estimates, it will maintain thatposition in 2004.