São Paulo – Sudan, the Arab country in North Africa, was chose as one of the piority markets for the Brazilian sugar and alcohol sector from 2011-2012. In combined operations, organisations in the sector aim to promote the sale of all kinds of equipment and services necessary for the complete installation of sugar mills.
The decision was taken during the meeting promoted this week in Sertãozinho, in the interior of São Paulo state, by members of project Brazilian Sugarcane Bioenergy Solutions, developed in partnership with the Alcohol Sector Hub (APLA) and the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil), which brings together 69 companies. Other markets also to be targeted in the sector’s trade promotion activies are Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Guatemala, Mexico, South Africa and Thailand.
"Sudan, as an agricultural nation, is one of the most promising in Africa," said Marcos Tadeu Lélis, coordinator of the Commercial and Competitive Intellingence unit at the Apex. "It has a broad and flat territory, which allows for great tracts," he explained.
According to the coordinator at Apex, actions for promotion in Sudan should be extended to Egypt. "Sudan and Egypt may export food to the countries of the Middle East," explained Lélis, regarding the possibility of export of sugar to other Arab nations.
In 2010, companies in the sugar and alcohol sector in Brazil exported the equivalent to US$ 9.5 million to Sudan. To Egypt, the second main market in North Africa for Brazilian producers, shipments reached US$ 4.7 million. According to Lélis, companies should start prospecting Sudan. "They want to see how many mills are already operationg, what technology they use and what kind of machinery may be operated," he said.
To the executive, Brazil needs to understand the Sudanese market better to expand operations in that territory. "Sudan is one of the countries with greatest agricultural productivity on the African continent," he said. "It is a market that is going to start being opened. People have to learn about Brazilian technology," he finished off. In 2010, the 30 exporters in the Brazilian Sugarcane project sold the equivalent to US$ 511.6 million on the foreign market.
*Translated by Mark Ament
