Jan 30, 2020
Brazil to be a Major Exporter of Food to India in the Coming Years
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
On January 22 to 27, an official delegation from Brazil visited India with the goal of increasing commercial ties between the two countries especially for agricultural products. Included in the delegation was the Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, the Minister of Agriculture, Tereza Cristina, the Director of International Relations for the Agricultural and Livestock Confederation of Brazil (CNA), the President of the Agricultural Federation of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Farsul) as well as agribusiness personnel from Brazil.
During the mission, the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture signed technical cooperation agreements with India concerning animal production, animal sanitation, genetic research, and an exchange of germplasm. The Minister also signed agreements opening up the export of corn to India.
The Director of CNA feels that Brazil will become a major supplier of food to India in the coming years. India has a population of more than 1.3 billion people and will soon become the most populated country in the world and he feels that India will be forced to source some of its food from other countries and that Brazil is well positioned to be a major supplier of that food.
In 2019, Brazil exported US$ 841 million of agricultural products to India with the main products being soybean oil, sugar, and cotton. These three items accounted for 70% of Brazil's agricultural exports to India in 2019.