São Paulo – The agreement signed this week by the ministers of Agriculture of Sudan, Ismail Abd Elhalim Elmotafi, and of Brazil, Wagner Rossi, represents a great business opportunity for Brazilian companies.
This is the opinion of the Arab minister, who came to Brazil to attend the Brazil-Africa Dialogue on Food Security, Fight Against Hunger and Rural Development, a meeting that ended in the Brazilian capital Brasília last Wednesday (12th).
In addition to the meeting and the agreement, Elmotafi took advantage of his stay in the country to strengthen his ties with Brazilian companies already operating in Sudan, and show that there is space for more cooperation and business between the two countries. At the end of one of the meetings, he granted an exclusive interview to ANBA.
Read below the main stretches of the interview:
ANBA:You have come to Brazil to attend the Brazil-Africa Dialogue event. What were the main topics discussed at the event?
Ismail Abd Elhalim Elmotafi:The main objectives of this Brazil-Africa meeting are strengthening relations between the two regions, attaining development and preventing hunger. Brazil is now in a position where it can help Africa in becoming self-sufficient in terms of food, ending conflict, wars due to lack of resources, and this will be done in a way that will benefit both Brazil and Africa. it will not be through donations, it will be through partnership, by which Brazil may transfer technology, machinery and funds to help African countries produce more, make more money, and thus be able to buy more.
You have also signed an agreement with Brazilian minister of Agriculture. How can Brazil cooperate more closely with Sudan?
Brazil has much to offer the world, be it Africa or Sudan. For that reason, the agreement signed with the minister of Agriculture involves several items. The most important one is information exchange, training programs, technology transfer, sales of equipment to Sudan in order to improve agricultural practices, cooperation in research centres and academic centres in both countries. It provides for mutual aid geared towards better economic practices, better performance.
A few months ago, a cooperation agreement was also signed by Brazil and Sudan in order to increase cotton production in your country. Did you sign or do you intend to sign other similar agreements with Brazilian institutions?
We are certainly working in several areas. This agreement, which is being implemented by the private sector, concerns cotton and soy in Sudan, in a partnership among Sudanese companies to try and improve cotton production and start planting soy in Sudan, in partnership with Brazilian enterprises. The initiative is being carried out by the private sector, and we also have another partnership with the minister of Agriculture to have government institutions cooperate among themselves.
What will be the first actions resulting from this agreement?
With regard to the private sector, they are already in Sudan. They are going to start planting cotton and soy next month. The technicians are already there, the machinery and the seeds have already been shipped, the company has been established, the initiative has been kicked off. The agreement with the Brazilian minister of Agriculture has just been signed and will be followed up by the minister, the ministry’s departments and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa).
Do you believe that Sudan can also cooperate with Brazil? How?
Yes. Sudan is a virgin country and Brazil is an emerging economy, with a large industrial capacity, strong sales and technology. All of that may be exported to Sudan. On the other hand, Sudan may export what Brazil is not producing, such as the few crops that cannot be planted in the country, as is the case with wheat. But the greatest advantage for Brazil is to be able to export agroindustrial units, machinery, seeds, technology, and personnel training. All of that can be a good deal for Brazilian companies.
You have just had meetings with Brazilian companies. What are you seeking?
We already have many Brazilian partners in Sudan. We have got irrigation companies, consultancy firms. This time, we talked to irrigation manufacturing companies with which we have partnerships. We do business with agricultural management companies, sugar and alcohol manufacturing companies. There are lots of activity involving Brazilians in Sudan, and I have come to strengthen them.
How about Sudan’s interest in Brazilian ethanol?
Sudan is the first African country to have a Brazilian ethanol factory, and we are already exporting the ethanol produced at the plant to Europe.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
