São Paulo – Tunisia wants to import calves for fattening from Brazil and a member of the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries (Utap), who is in charge of Foreign Relations and Partnership, Labidi Abdelmajid, is seeking contact with suppliers. Abdelmajid is participating, in Brasília, in the Dialogue Brazil-Africa, a conference between Brazilians and Africans regarding food and agriculture, and is also, during the trip, verifying the possibility of buying calves. According to Abdelmajid, a company from Tunisia that is interested the animals is the Sociétes les Eleveurs Réunis, connected to Utap.
Abdelmajid is in Brazil still with the mission of promoting the International Agricultural Show, a two-yearly exhibition in the agricultural area, to take place in Tunisia, between October 19th and 23rd of this year. According to the Tunisian, the exhibition may be an opportunity for promotion of Brazilian agricultural technology in his country. According to him, Tunisia is interested in Brazilian technology, mainly for agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions. “I have plans to discuss the theme and establish dialogue with Brazilian organisations and professionals in the near future,” said Abdelmajid in an e-mail interview to ANBA.
In Dialogue Brazil-Africa, Abdelmajid, who was invited by the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, participated as a representative of the civil society in Tunisia and of farmers from Tunisia and the Maghreb. After participating in the conference, Abdelmajid pointed out the desire of Brazil and Africa to build a bridge for cooperation and partnership for transfer of technology and scientific education. “Making it possible for Africa to make use of the Brazilian experience in agricultural development is an interesting challenge,” said Abdelmajid.
During the meeting in Brasília, a new Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) unit was inaugurated to offer training to foreigners. Abdelmajid recalls that the institution already has projects in partnership with Africans, but added that it is a desire of the Arab country to establish cooperation programs between the Embrapa and the Tunisian National Institute for Agronomical Research (INRAT). He said that the Embrapa is a very developed research institute and that in Tunisia the level of agricultural research is also advanced.
According to Abdelmajid, cooperation between Brazil and Tunisia, in the area of agriculture and fisheries, is below expectations. But “there is a will from both sides to concretize and promote actions. The study for some projects concerned with cereal growing and forestry are underway,” said the Tunisian. Apart from cooperation, there are also areas in which agricultural trade between both countries may grow. According to Abdelmajid, Tunisia may export olive oil and semi-preserved olives to Brazil.
Abdelmajid returns to his country on Thursday and, according to the executive, who was visiting Brazil for the first time, should take the image of a country full of potentials. “Brazil is a country full of potentialities,” he said. According to him, the country has an “excellent president” as well as developing social policies with humanitarian and noble objectives. “Brazil is a model country in an international environment marked by protectionism, economic uncertainties and social tension,” he said.
*Translated by Mark Ament
