São Paulo – Delegates from 70 countries are expected for this year’s edition of Expodireto Cotrijal, an agribusiness fair in the municipality Não-Me-Toque, in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state. The annually-held expo opens this Monday (9th) and ends next Friday (13th). Arab business executives and diplomats from Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Egypt, Sudan and Iraq are expected to attend.
According to Expodireto Cotrijal international coordinator Evaldo da Silva Júnior, the event offers business opportunities in areas like equipment, cereals and meats.
Besides the North African ones, other African countries are expected to be present, including Nigeria, Mozambique, Angola and Ghana. “There is a very strong demand for food in Africa, and they need to develop their agriculture. Nigeria, for instance, is the world’s leading rice importer, and Rio Grande do Sul is the foremost rice producer in the Americas, so ours is a complementary (commercial) relation,” he says.
In addition to product sale negotiations, other partnerships are often discussed at the expo. “No-till farming was developed in Rio Grande do Sul during the 70s and is easily applicable in Africa, which shares commonalities with Brazil. There are a few proposals to bring local farmers to Africa,” he said.
Just like past editions, this one will also feature matchmaking events but this time, unlike other expos, negotiation will take place directly at exhibitors’ stands, rather than in the international pavilion.
Organizers are expecting 230,000 visitors for the 16th edition of Expodireto Cotrijal. Approximately 515 exhibitors will be featured. Last year, the event welcomed 235,000 people from 77 countries. In the months that followed, R$ 3.2 billion (US$ 1 billion) worth of deals were made. Of those, R$ 471.4 million (US$ 157.6 million) concerned contracts with foreigners, a 99% increase from a year before.
Expodireto Cotrijal
March 9th to 13th – Rodovia RS 142, km 24 – Não-Me-Toque, Rio Grande do Sul
Information: http://www.expodireto.cotrijal.com.br/
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
