São Paulo – A delegation of technicians from the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture should visit the facilities of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) as of the end of November. The delegation’s arrival depends on the Palestinians’ confirmation.
According to the international cooperation technician at Embrapa in Brasília, Fernanda Nascimento, the visit to the Embrapa Solos (Embrapa Soils) unit in Rio de Janeiro is scheduled for November 24th, 25th and 26th. On November 27th and 28th, the 13-strong delegation goes on to Embrapa Cerrados (Cerrado is a typical Brazilian land, similar to the savannah), in Planaltina, in the Federal District. On December 1st, 2nd and 3rd, they will go to Sobral, in Ceará, where they will visit Embrapa Caprinos e Ovinos (Embrapa Goats and Sheep).
At the first two units, they will attend lectures and learn how to manage the soil and recover pastures, among other activities. “We will show them an underground dam system to store water, as we know they come from a region with very dry land,” says Nascimento.
At the unit in Ceara, the lectures will be about goat and sheep farming and feeding, and the type of grass used in pastures. According to the technician, other subjects may be discussed during the meetings, depending on the needs expressed by Arab delegation.
According to Nascimento, Embrapa does not usually receive delegations from Arab countries. Most visits the organization’s technicians and researchers receive are from Portuguese-speaking African nations, such as Angola and Mozambique.
The Palestinians’ visit is the last stage of an agreement between Brazil and Palestine as part of the General Coordination for International Action Against Hunger (aka CG Fome), a programme from the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations. The visit is set to take place since 2011, but it has been postponed on several occasions. The trip should be confirmed by the end of next week.
*Translated by Rodrigo Mendonçav
