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Agricultural cooperation between Brazil and South Africa was formalized at a meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, focusing on sanitary defense, combating foot-and-mouth disease, preventing animal diseases, technical exchange, and expanding commercial opportunities between the two countries.
The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, André de Paula, received the Minister of Agriculture of South Africa, John Steenhuisen, accompanied by an official delegation, this Thursday (30), to sign a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at agricultural cooperation. The document involves the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil and the Department of Agriculture of the Government of the Republic of South Africa, focusing on expanding the partnership in the agricultural sector.
Memorandum strengthens agricultural cooperation
The agreement provides for a partnership in agricultural defense, with special attention to combating foot-and-mouth disease and expanding bilateral trade. The agenda included the South African delegation’s interest in strengthening agricultural cooperation with Brazil through an action plan to tackle the disease.
The proposal is to deepen technical exchange in the prevention, control, and eradication of foot-and-mouth disease. Topics related to avian influenza were also included, as part of a sanitary agenda considered central to the advancement of relations between the two countries.
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André de Paula emphasized the strategic importance of the partnership and stated that global food security is a priority for the Brazilian government. The minister also highlighted this topic as a point of convergence between Brazil and South Africa.
Combating foot-and-mouth disease becomes central to the partnership
John Steenhuisen stated that Brazil is an agricultural powerhouse and also a relevant commercial partner for South Africa. He expressed confidence that the discussions held at the meeting would bring concrete results and highlighted South Africa’s interest in learning from Brazil’s experience in combating foot-and-mouth disease.
The South African minister reported that the disease has advanced in the southern African region and caused significant economic impacts. South Africa seeks to adopt a regional approach to combating foot-and-mouth disease, inspired by the Brazilian model.
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. The disease causes significant productive losses and imposes restrictions on the international trade of animal products.
Steenhuisen also emphasized that agricultural cooperation with Brazil will be fundamental to strengthening sanitary actions. The technical plan mentioned includes vaccination, technical support, post-vaccination monitoring, and generation of field evidence, measures considered essential to maintain an effective response against the disease.
Brazil offers technical expertise in the sanitary area
André de Paula reiterated Brazil’s willingness to deepen the partnership in the sanitary area. The minister expressed solidarity regarding the foot-and-mouth disease situation and reinforced interest in establishing partnerships that can contribute to addressing the problem.
The Secretary of Agricultural Defense of Mapa, Carlos Goulart, highlighted Brazil’s experience in combating the disease and the possibility of technical cooperation. He stated that the two countries can work together to share experiences, including in cases involving bilateral agreements for joint vaccination.
Goulart also emphasized that Brazil recently achieved international recognition as a country free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination by the World Organisation for Animal Health. This result was associated with decades of sanitary policies, federative coordination, and continuous investment in agricultural surveillance.
Bilateral trade and new opportunities
The meeting also addressed the expansion of bilateral trade, with opportunities in agricultural products. André de Paula mentioned potential for advancement in segments such as animal proteins and citrus fruits, in addition to strengthening animal health cooperation provided for in the memorandum.
The director of the Department of Non-Tariff Negotiations and Sustainability, Marcel Moreira, stated that there is interest in expanding and qualifying trade relations. He cited the size of the two countries, the level of partnership in international forums such as BRICS and WTO, and the need for market access to reflect Brazil’s sanitary status, free of foot-and-mouth disease.
Moreira also highlighted advances in regionalization for avian influenza, a topic considered relevant for trade. The Memorandum of Understanding was treated as an important instrument to strengthen agricultural cooperation, with the possibility of advances in sanitary and phytosanitary issues and technology exchange.
With information from gov.br
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