São Paulo – To expand the exchanges between Sudan and Brazil in the agricultural area, the ministers of Agriculture of both countries, Al-Zubair Taha and Reinhold Stephanes, are gong to meet today (03), in Brazilian capital Brasília, to sign a protocol of understanding in the area of vegetable sanitation and other phytosanitary matters. "The signing of this protocol is very important. It involves several sectors of agriculture, including grain, vegetables and technology transfer," stated the ambassador of Sudan to Brasília, Omer Salih Abubakr.
According to him, this meeting proceeds with the work that the government of Sudan has been developing with Brazil in the agricultural area. In November last year, the minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries of Sudan, Ismail Khamis Jallab, was in São Paulo and signed a protocol of understanding with minister Stephanes for cooperation and bilateral communications in the areas of sanitary health, animal products and other matters of mutual interest in the area of livestock farming.
The Sudanese minister, who arrived in Brazil on Sunday evening in the company of a delegation, was yesterday at the offices of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), in Brasília, and was received by the head of the International Relations Advisor, Elísio Contini, and researcher Antônio Prado. According to information disclosed by the Embrapa, the virtual laboratories (Labex) and the Embrapa Africa office, located in Ghana, generated interest from the committee. Contini explained the work that is developed by Embrapa in Africa, mainly for transfer of technology and the ease of cooperation with African countries, as they have a similar climate to Brazil.
Yesterday, the Sudanese also visited the Embrapa Vegetables, which is one of the 15 Embrapa product centres and is focussed on research and development for sustainable development of the interior, providing greater competitiveness to vegetables. At the unit, the committee discussed the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the government of Sudan. "The visit was fantastic. Everybody liked it and was interested in discussing a partnership," said the ambassador.
According to him, the minister of Sudan also spoke about the investment opportunities in the agricultural sector in Sudan and about the interest of companies in the establishment of joint ventures. Apart from the area of vegetables, the committee is interested in establishing agreements with Brazil in the area in the dairy, genetic improvement, ethanol and technology transfer sector in all these areas.
"It is also important for the Brazilians to visit Sudan to invest, promote and trade their products, not just in Sudan, but to in other countries that have agreements with Sudan," said Abubakr.
This week, the committee should also visit Dedini, one of the main Brazilian base industries with know how in technology for sugarcane mills and distilleries, headquartered in Piracicaba, in the interior of São Paulo. The Brazilian factory supplied all equipment and machinery for the first Sudanese ethanol mill established by Kenana Sugar Company.
Before returning to the Arab country, the committee should come to São Paulo, where it should meet the board at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.
*Translated by Mark Ament
