São Paulo – Jordan is interested in increasing its food product imports from Brazil. The information was given to ANBA today by the minister of agriculture of the Arab country, Said Al-Masri, during an interview at the of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce headquarters in the city of São Paulo today (19th). Masri is currently in Brazil, alongside his counterparts of the Industry and Trade and Tourism ministries, to discuss cooperation in various fields with Brazilian government officials and private sector representatives.
The minister stated that Jordan wants to increase its imports of chicken, red meat and live animals, especially sheep and bovines. The matter, according to him, will be addressed tomorrow, in the Brazilian capital, Brasília, during a meeting with the Brazilian minister of Agriculture, Wagner Rossi. “We import live animals and meat from the world over,” said Masri. Brazil already exports livestock to the Middle East, in particular to Lebanon.
Masri claimed, however, that the business transactions should be carried out by private enterprises, and recommended for business missions to be promoted in order to spot further opportunities in agricultural trade between the two countries. He said, for instance, that Jordan may export items such as olive oil and fresh dates to Brazil. The fruit may “meet the ethnical demand” from the Arab-Brazilian community. At the Arab Brazilian Chamber, the minister was welcomed by the director Mustapha Abdouni, who is the honorary consul of Jordan in São Paulo.
The Jordanians are also interested in agricultural machinery and equipment and in biofuels. This morning, Masri met with the foreign trade consultant of the Brazilian Machinery Manufacturers Association (Abimaq), Casemiro Taleikis, and suggested for it to conduct a survey to check whether it is feasible to establish a branch in the Arab country, in order to promote sales in the region as a whole. He should also meet with representatives of the National Association of Vehicle Manufacturers (Anfavea) today.
Aside from trade, the minister claimed that his country wants to establish an industrial cooperation with Brazil, not only in machinery, but in the agroindustry as well. Today, he should meet with representatives of the São Paulo Sugarcane Agroindustry Union (Unica), and tomorrow he should pay a visit to the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa).
“Jordan is interested in finding ways to strengthen these relations and boost its industrial development. We want to develop our economy, and for such we must import technology and equipment,” said Masri. “Brazil has technology, competitiveness and pricing to meet our needs,” he added.
With regard to the sugar and ethanol industry, the minister declared that his country wants to develop its production of renewable energy sources. “We have spent a lot on purchasing oil, and we are ruining our environment,” he said. In this respect, the Brazilian experience in manufacturing ethanol and biodiesel may be of interest to the Jordanians.
He also claimed that Jordan has its own agricultural research centre, and that it would be important to develop a collaborative program with the Embrapa.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
