Egypt and Brazil are working together to open up new horizons for agricultural co-operation. Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply Minister Marcos Montes was here as part of a three-leg tour of the region that took him to Jordan and Morocco as well in a bid to increase fertiliser exports.
Brazil imports 85 per cent of its fertilisers, the minister said, adding that Egypt is an important source.
Brazil has a broad portfolio of high-quality products that the Egyptian market needs, the minister went on, voicing hope for further cooperation with Egypt, with which ties with Brazil are firm.
During Montes’s, the Egyptian Agricultural Research Centre and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the exchange of expertise in genetics, biotechnology, irrigation and climate change.
Montes said in press statements that the Brazilian side can transfer experience in programmes to reduce carbon emissions in agriculture in exchange for Egyptian irrigation experience.
During his visit, Montes met with senior Egyptian officials, including the Deputy Minister of Agriculture .
Montes also attended the Egyptian-Brazilian Business Forum, organised by the Regional Office of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in Cairo. The forum discussed ways to increase Egyptian exports to Brazil and mechanisms for developing trade exchange between the two countries.
The minister said his purpose in visiting Cairo was to remove all obstacles to trade between the two countries and identify the challenges facing companies in both countries and find solutions.
“Joint relations have come a long way on the path of friendship and economic co-operation, especially after the free trade agreement MERCOSUR came into effect in 2017,” Montes said.
Brazilian is importing more Egyptian citrus fruits, olives and grapes.
Montes told the the Egyptian Mail during a press conference said that Brazil has been making strides in the field of sustainable agriculture.
“Brazil is to bring its experience in this field to COP27 due to be held in Sharm el-Sheikh,” he said, referring to Brazil’s Low-Carbon Agriculture (ABC) Plan that promotes sustainable agriculture practices by providing farmers with resources and giving them incentives to adopt sustainable agricultural techniques to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) from agriculture.
Brazil is to play a very important role in COP27 as it did in COP26 in Glasgow, the minister said.
“We are also in close contact with Egyptian Ambassador to Brazil Wael Abol Magd to prepare for this important event,” he said.
The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) is of very great importance in Brazil, as it contributed to the development of agriculture.
“Fifty years ago, Brazil imported all its food, but now 8 per cent of its land mass is cultivated and more than one-fifth livestock is bred locally,” he said.
The Brazilian embassy in Egypt said Brazil’s exports to Egypt were worth $482 million in January-February 2022, up by almost three-quarters compared to the same period last year. Egypt’s exports to Brazil earned $67 million, up by half on last year.
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