Brazil’S Embrapa Pens Agreement With Egyptian Institute

Date

5/10/2022 11:06:17 PM

(MENAFN- Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA))

Cairo – Brazil will collaborate with Egypt in agricultural research and knowledge exchange on low-carbon agriculture to face climate change. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed this Tuesday (10), in Cairo, between the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation ( Embrapa ) and Egypt's Agricultural Research Center (ARC).

The president of Embrapa, Celso Moretti (pictured above), signed the agreement during a visit by the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply (MAPA), Marcos Montes, to the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation (MoALR). Moretti is part of the Brazilian government delegation visiting three Arab countries, including Egypt, to discuss fertilizer supply to Brazil.

The MoU was signed in Cairo, Egypt

The Egyptian research center is a public institution with a mission similar to Embrapa's. The MoU provides for cooperation in plant and animal genetic improvement and health , climate change , irrigation and water management , and research exchange , with visits and training.

In the climate area, Embrapa will share its national experiences in low carbon agriculture, of which Moretti spoke to the Egyptians.“Everyone is now worried about this issue of climate change, and I say in Brazil, agriculture is part of the solution, not the problem of climate change,” Moretti told ANBA.

In recent years, several initiatives have been launched in Brazil in this regard involving Embrapa, such as the production of carbon-neutral beef in partnership with the company Marfrig.“I told them we have a plan to produce low-carbon cotton; we are advancing on this,” said Moretti, noting Egyptian cotton is famous worldwide. The president of Embrapa also believes there will be interest in Brazil's irrigation technology, which is much developed.

In the event of the signature, Moretti spoke on how Brazil made its revolution in food production with increased output and productivity through technology.“In the 1970s, we imported milk from the United States, beef from Europe, and beans from Mexico,” he told ANBA. According to him, Brazil has invested heavily in crop science in the last five decades.

Tropical wheat

Egypt, in turn, is heavily dependent on food imports, and the country only uses between 7% and 8% of its area for agricultural production and has water and land restrictions. Currently, the Arab country faces issues concerning wheat supply , as a significant supplier, Ukraine, is at war with Russia.

Moretti briefly informed the Egyptians about the Brazilian experience of expanding tropical wheat production. Through technology, Brazil made it possible to grow wheat in regions not considered suitable due to climate and soil.

According to Moretti, Brazil already has 280,000 hectares of wheat planted in the Cerrado region, has also tested in Ceará (In the country's Northeast region), and is harvesting it in Roraima (North). Production is expected to increase by 13% this year, from 7.5 million tonnes to 8.5 million tonnes. Planted area could expand from 2.7 million hectares to 3.1 million hectares.

The mission during which the agreement between Embrapa and the ARC was signed began last weekend in Jordan and will also continue through Morocco . In addition to government and state agency representatives, the private sector and Brazilian entities, such as the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), are also participating.