Uberaba is an important grain producer in Minas Gerais, particularly known for
corn,
soybean,
coffee,
cotton, and
sugarcane. The city is also recognized for hosting
Expozebu, one of the largest
cattle fairs in the world, held annually since 1935. From 2019 to 2024, Uberaba secured positions among the top 100 Brazilian cities with the highest
agricultural production value, ranking 30th by 2024 according to the 2023 report from the
Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA). The service sector employs slightly over half of the city's population, followed by the manufacturing industry, and agriculture ranking third. The industrial sector encompasses various fields such as agribusiness, food processing, textile manufacturing, steel production, mining, chemical manufacturing, electronic devices, home appliances, and more. The chemical manufacturing sector is concentrated in the local industrial park, with processing plants operated by chemical companies, including
Mosaic,
FMC Corporation, Sipcam Nichino (
UPL), and
Yara. In 2021, the city ranked 62nd among the 100 largest economies in Brazil, with a
GDP of
R$ 20.3 billion and a GDP per capita of R$59,943. In 2011,
Petrobras selected Uberaba as the site for its UFN-5 (Nitrogen Fertilizer Unit 5), which was designed to connect to the
Gasbol pipeline and produce 1,500 metric tons of
ammonia daily. Construction of UFN-5 began in 2014 as part of the
PAC-2, but was suspended in 2015 at 30% completion due to Petrobras' financial crisis, influenced by
Operation Car Wash, and the company's redirection of resources to
pre-salt oil fields. After listing the site for sale without a successful auction, the Government of Minas Gerais transferred it back to Uberaba in 2021 under a 20-year lease. In 2022, Atlas Agro signed a letter of intent to establish a sustainable
nitrogen fertilizer facility at the location.
Crop Plantations (2006) •
Bananas: 28 hectares •
Coffee: 1,000 hectares •
Oranges: 1,410 hectares •
Tangerines: 168 hectares •
Cotton: 3,145 hectares •
Rice: 543 hectares •
Peanuts: 100 hectares •
Potatoes: 2,190 hectares •
Sugarcane: 36,000 hectares •
Onions: 450 hectares •
Beans: 1,450 hectares •
Cassava: 1,300 hectares •
Corn: 50,000 hectares •
Soybeans: 100,000 hectares •
Sorghum: 1,250 hectares •
Tomatoes: 240 hectares •
Wheat: 336 hectares
Farming Statistics (2006) • Number of farms: 1,093 • Agricultural area: 282,692 ha. • Planted area: 105,000 ha. • Area of natural pasture: 112,678 • Workers directly employed by producers: 1,764 • Workers indirectly employed in the sector: 2,533 == Paleontology ==