RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina said Thursday, February 17, in a meeting with Iranian entrepreneurs, that Brazil is interested in buying fertilizers from Iran. The statements were made during a visit to Shiraz Petrochemical Company, one of Iran’s top urea producers, located in the south of the country.
“We have many complementarities between our countries. You have urea that we so much need in our country to produce and we can ship products to Iran that you produce less, such as soybeans and corn,” the Minister said at the event, according to a statement issued by the Ministry.
Trade and International Relations Deputy Secretary Jean Marcel Fernandes, who joined the Minister on the trip, said that the producer is interested in expanding its supply to Brazil. “But we didn’t discuss numbers,” Fernandes said.
He said negotiations now hinge on private agents – Iranian exporters and Brazilian importers. According to the Ministry’s data, Iran produces approximately 5 million tons of urea annually – half of this amount is sold on the domestic market and the surplus is exported.
The delegation also attended an event held by the Shiraz Chamber of Commerce. According to the portfolio, the Minister heard Iranian entrepreneurs interested in doing business with Brazil and highlighted Brazil’s interest in expanding bilateral relations in the agri-food field.
Fernandes said that Iranian entrepreneurs showed “great interest” in the commercial expansion of the agricultural agenda between the two countries. “Our economies are complementary. We need more urea and they need more corn, soy and meat. We also want to diversify with cotton, rice, sugar, and others,” she pointed out.
During the meeting, Tereza Cristina noted that Iran imports considerable amounts of products from other trade partners in which Brazil is highly competitive, such as rice, sugar and cotton.
“We are before a unique opportunity to further expand our agricultural trade. On the one hand, we rely on the effectiveness of Brazilian productivity to continue to contribute to Iran’s food security. We must not only export more, but also diversify our agenda,” the Minister said.
“On the other hand, we intend to import more Iranian fertilizers, as well as promote other products already appreciated by Brazilians, such as nuts and chestnuts, dried grapes, preserved fruits and saffron,” she added. The potential for technical cooperation agreements between the two countries was also addressed by Tereza Cristina.
The Ambassador of Brazil to Iran, Laudemar Gonçalves Neto, said at the event that Iranian businessmen should increase their visits to Brazil to exchange information and do business, particularly by taking part in agribusiness trade shows.
The Minister’s agenda in Iran will run through Saturday, with meetings with entrepreneurs and local government representatives. Tereza Cristina will return to Brazil next Sunday, February 20.