India grants market access to Brazil’s sesame seeds, in return Brazil accepts Indian maize seeds

New Delhi: Union Agriculture Minister has announced approval for market access to sesame seeds from Brazil to India and thanked Brazil for granting market access to maize seeds from India. At a recent meeting with the Brazilian delegation, the Minister said that the bilateral trade at US$ 1045 million in 2018-19 is way below potential and is not reflective of the strengths of both economies and there is a need to encourage more trade given the huge complementarities and synergies that exist between India and Brazil.

As per the Minister, President of Brazil as the Chief Guest for Republic Day and the Brazilian Minister for Agriculture being part of high-level delegation is an indicator of the importance attached by the Brazilian Government to cooperation in the area of Agriculture and allied sectors.

Recently a bilateral meeting was held by Mr N S Tomar with the Brazilian Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Ms. Tereza Cristina Correa da Costa Dias at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi to discuss various bilateral trade opportunities, interests and issues. Both Ministers affirmed that agriculture is a priority for both Brazil and India and resolved to strengthen cooperation in the agriculture and allied sectors.  The strong bilateral relations between India and Brazil have continued to strengthen and deepen over the years and were reiterated.  The two countries have similar aspirations and developmental challenges especially for small and marginal farmers which makes the two countries’ natural partners.

Mr Tomar expressed pleasure at the intensification of cooperation in the agriculture sector and of the warm, friendly and mutually beneficial relationship between India and Brazil.

Brazil and India have agreed to work towards expeditious resolving of market access to other agricultural products of interest to each other. Both Ministers were committed to resolving outstanding issues through continuous interaction. Mr Tomar expressed confidence that in the coming years, India’s relationship with Brazil will further gain in strength. Both the sides agreed to expeditiously finalize the Work Plan under the MoU between ICAR and Brazilian Agricultural Research Cooperation (EMBRAPA) to ensure organized and sustained engagements in the suggested sectors.

The Brazilian Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Ms. Tereza Cristina Correa da Costa Dias in her remarks said that both countries share a common challenge with a huge part of the population being engaged in agriculture and most of them being small and marginal farmers with low income and lack of market access and very little access to new technology and innovations. She said that Wheat, Rice, Millets, Sorghum are some of the products that India would like to export to Brazil and that she will try to move forward on this as far as possible.

Ms. Dias also said that Brazil has a Zero-Tariff Program which has a quota of 7.5 Lakh Tons which can be effectively utilized by India for furthering their exports to Brazil. She thanked India for opening the market for Sesame seeds of which India is a major exporter but Brazil can complement Indian production especially during the period between harvests. She also said that Brazil keeps on exporting Avocadoes and Citrus to India and is looking forward to expanding the relationship in other products as well.