Brazil eyes growing agribusiness in China

The Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA) opened its branch office in Beijing on Wednesday, at the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency.

Senator Katia Abreu (center), president of CNA, Brazilian Ambassador to China Clodoaldo Hugueney (left), and Roberto Brant (right), former minister of social security in Brazil and consultant at CNA, answer questions from the media at a press conference on the opening of CNA's Beijing office, on Nov 14, 2012. [Photo by Huang Shuo / chinadaily.com.cn]

The move is aimed at introducing more Brazilian agriculture and livestock products into the Chinese market and luring China's State and private enterprises to invest in Brazil, especially in the field of logistics facilities, including storage and transportation.

"The increasing consumption demand of food from the middle class in China, with a total of around 30 million people by 2015, will create opportunities for Brazil to cooperate with China in the field of food. We can supply more dairy products, meat products and other high-value added agriculture and livestock products," said Senator Katia Abreu, president of the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock.

Apart from boosting trade with China and expanding the regional market via its Beijing office, CNA also aims to close the ties between Brazilian suppliers and Chinese importers and promote bilateral trade.

Since 2002, China's imports from Brazil have continued to grow. However, most imported agriculture products focus on the soybean and its byproduct. Abreu advocated the diversification of Brazilian exports to China. "In 2011, Brazil exported about 22.1 million tons of soybeans to China. Besides soybeans, we can provide the Chinese market with other kinds of foods," added Abreu.

CNA, founded in 1951, is a union of employers, representing roughly 2 million Brazilian small, medium and large-scale commercial farmers, engaged in various fields of agriculture, which was consolidated as the main forum for debate and decision-making for Brazilian agribusiness. The CNA system comprises 27 state-level agriculture and livestock federations and over 2,000 rural unions, through which direct support measures are provided for farmers at the local level. Other components of the CNA system are the National Rural Learning Service-SENAR, which offers capacity building for farmers and farm workers, and Instituto CNA, a research institute conducting rural development studies and promoting social responsibility.

Contact the reporter at larryhuangshuo@163.com