São Paulo – Brazil and Sudan signed, early this month, an important agricultural partnership that may expand the Arab country’s cotton production threefold. Sudan currently produces 80,000 tonnes a year.
The agreement was signed by the Mato-Grosso state association of Cotton Producers (Ampa) and the minister of Agriculture of Sudan, Elzubeir Bashir Taha, during the six-day visit of a committee of Brazilian producers from the state to the Arab country, said Gilson Pinesso, president at the Ampa, in an interview to ANBA.
“We believe that, with the Brazilian technology, we may contribute much to its production. We think that Sudan may have a significant expansion in production of cotton fibre, with quality similar to ours,” said Pinesso. “They have much fertile land. With the implementation of technology, it is possible, in the short run, to double or triple production. It is necessary to turn to broad-scale, entrepreneurial production,” he said.
He pointed out that Sudan has “great tracts of land for cultivation and a climate that is appropriate to cotton farming.” Apart from that, he said, “the country’s port is well located, and may easily reach markets like Pakistan, China, India and Indonesia, which are currently the main destinations for cotton.”
According to the executive, the objective of the partnership is “taking technology, Brazilian varieties and implementing a project to bring sustainability to local production”. “We want to promote in Sudan what we do in Mato Grosso, where people are part of the success of our chain,” he finished off, mentioning the social projects developed in the state with people who work in the production of cotton.
One of the projects, to be started in late April or early May, is the implementation of an experimental field for the production of 100 hectares of soy and 500 hectares of cotton, in the South of the country, 400 kilometres away from state capital Khartoum.
Initially, the Ampa should send two agronomists to start development in the field, which should start being cultivated in June, with seeds granted by the Brazilian association. The first crop should take place in November.
Another phase of the partnership that is being discussed with the minister of Sudan is the establishment of an office of the Mato Grosso State Cotton Institute (IMA) in the country.
“The matter is under discussion and we are going to discuss it again when the [Sudanese] minister [of Agriculture] travels to Brazil in May for the Agrishow (the International Agricultural Technology Fair),” pointed out Pinesso.
*Translated by Mark Ament
