São Paulo – Brazil exported 53,600 tonnes of maize to the countries in the League of Arab States in July. Revenues with sales of the product to the Arab countries totalled US$ 13.5 million. In the same month of last year, Brazil did not export to the region. The maize sold this year was for consumption, and not for sowing.
The Arab countries that purchased the commodity from Brazil were Morocco and Egypt, which have part of their economies connected to agribusiness. The Moroccans purchased 25,100 tonnes of maize from Brazil and the Egyptians, 28,400 tonnes. The total spent by Morocco with imports was US$ 6.9 million and by Egypt, US$ 6.5 million.
Maize in grain is used to feed animals, to produce animal feed or to feed humans. Egyptian agribusiness includes cattle, buffalo, sheep and goat raising. Although the country imported maize from Brazil, it also produces the commodity. Around 14% of the economy of Egypt is connected to the agricultural sector. The main product, however, is cotton.
Morocco, the other Arab importer of Brazilian maize, also has livestock as part of its economic activities. The Arab country also has food industries. In the case of Morocco, 14.5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is turned to the agricultural and livestock sector.
Brazil has been expanding its production and export of maize due to the high global demand and to the good prices of the product on the foreign market. Last year, the country exported 10.9 million tonnes of the product and this year the forecast is for the foreign market to purchase 11.5 million tonnes.
According to the National Food Supply Company, the country should produce 58.5 million tonnes of maize in 2008. The main crop should grow 9.5% and the second crop, 24.9%. This year, the country sowed 14.6 million hectares, 4.3% more than in the previous crop.
*Translated by Mark Ament
