Tereza Cristina met with the Minister of Agriculture and Indonesian businessmen in Jakarta, the last leg of the trip to the Asian continent
In the last phase of the mission to Asia, Minister Tereza Cristina (Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply) met with Indonesian Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman on Monday to discuss the opening of the Brazilian meat market to the Asian country.
During the meeting, the minister asked for a response on a technical mission that visited meatpackers in several Brazilian states in April 2018. Tereza Cristina stressed that Brazil is able to supply the demand for animal protein from Indonesians, mainly beef, being a supplier alternative and cheaper prices for meat from Australia, where most of the meat consumed in the country comes from.
“It’s a country that has 270 million people. If you add Vietnam and Indonesia, we will have a market of almost 300 million people who can consume various Brazilian agricultural products,” said Tereza Cristina.
Special fruits and palm oil
Minister Sulaiman called for the reduction of tariffs for palm oil imported by Brazil.
Brazil charges 20% on the import of palm oil. Indonesians, however, want 2.5%, the same percentage applied to soybeans. They argue that they buy Brazilian soya in large quantities, are the only exporters of palm oil to Brazil and the adjustment in tariffs will benefit small Indonesian producers. According to Tereza Cristina, the government is evaluating import tariffs and will analyze the country’s request.
According to the minister, they want to expand the export agenda, with the sale of special fruits. Already in a meeting with the Brazilian-Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), businessmen offered to unlock the import of halal meat (which follows Islamic principles in production and slaughter).
Cooperation
Indonesians — both the Minister of Agriculture and businessmen — have mentioned the interest in cooperation projects in agriculture, such as livestock genetics.
The minister said that Embrapa could help in the formulation of the projects.
Cellulose
The last engagement of the Brazilian delegation was a work dinner offered by Indonesian businessmen with business in Brazil and by the Brazilian Committee of Kadin, chaired by Anderson Tanoto.
President of the RGE Group (Royal Golden Eagle), an Indonesian conglomerate in the pulp area, Tanoto confirmed the installation of the company’s units in the interior of São Paulo. The group already has operations in Bahia.
Tereza Cristina reaffirmed that investments in the pulp sector allowed the development of poor areas of Mato Grosso do Sul, its state of origin, with job creation and quality of life.
