Brazil has launched a National Fertilizer Plan (PNF) to boost investment in production and reduce its reliance on the import of fertilizers, authorities said Friday.

"The measures established by the PNF seek to readjust the balance between domestic production and imports, with the potential to make Brazil a leader in the global fertilizer market," the Social Communication Secretariat of the Presidency said in a statement.

The goal is to cut dependence on fertilizer imports from 85 to 45 percent by 2050, even if demand doubles, according to the plan.

Brazil imports over 85 percent of the fertilizers it needs, making it highly reliant on imports in a market dominated by few suppliers, according to data from the National Association for the Diffusion of Fertilizers.

The government plans to use geological mapping to locate the minerals needed to make fertilizers, such as potassium and phosphorus.