Verde reported new drilling results, Harvest acquired eight projects and Mosaic is studying recovery from fertilizer-production waste.
Brazilian companies in the fertilizer and mining sectors are expanding into rare earths. Verde AgriTech reported new drilling results at its Minas Americas project in Minas Gerais: a 30-metre interval from surface averaged 1,853 ppm of magnetic rare earth oxides, including 1,792 ppm of neodymium and praseodymium oxides and 270 ppm of heavy rare earth oxides.
The results are exploration data, not a reserve estimate. CNN Brasil reported that Verde has not yet established a commercial recovery rate, mineral resource or economic assessment for the project. The company aims to publish an initial resource estimate by the end of 2026 and a preliminary economic assessment in the first half of 2027, subject to technical progress.
Harvest Minerals completed its acquisition of Scanty Mineração in September. The company said the deal added eight rare earth projects across 27 mineral rights in four Brazilian states, complementing its Arapuá fertilizer project. Harvest continues to operate in fertilizers but has described the outlook for that business as uncertain; it presents the acquisition as part of a strategy to build a rare earth exploration portfolio.
Mosaic and Rainbow Rare Earths are developing a project in Uberaba to recover rare earths from phosphogypsum, a by-product of phosphoric-acid production, rather than opening a separate mine. The partners began a pre-feasibility study in September. About six tonnes of material are due to be tested at Rainbow’s laboratory and pilot plant in South Africa.
The study is expected to be completed in the second half of 2027, while initial production is projected for 2030 if the project clears technical, regulatory and investment stages. Verde and Harvest are advancing exploration assets; Mosaic plans to recover material from a fertilizer-production by-product.