0
The president of the Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apexbrasil), Jorge Viana, is in Africa as a member of a group of Brazilians visiting the African continent to promote cocoa sales.
In Africa, Jorge Viana leads mission in search of the market for the cocoa produced in Brazil. Photo: Reproduction
Brazil is the sixth country in the world in exporting the product and countries such as Ghana and Ivory Costa on the continent, which produce more than 60% of world cocoa production, has experience in the subject that the Brazilian government wants to take advantage of improving the quality and product quantity.
Acrean’s trip Jorge Viana to the African continent is part of the “West African Mission”, promoted by Itamaraty with the support of Apexbrasil and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa). The mission went through Nigeria, Ghana and Costa do Ivory and will still go to Senegal.
The West Africa Mission brings together more than 40 Brazilian companies from the most diverse sectors, from electric showers, to agricultural implements, through medical equipment.
In Ghana, the mission was received by President Mahama after meeting of Apexbrasil, Itamaraty and Map with the president of Ghana Coco Board, Ransford Anertey Abbey, and had a signature of protocol of cooperation intentions between the countries.
“Ghana is the second largest producer of cocoa and a quality reference in production. Along with Ivory Coast, they represent 60% of the worldwide supply of cocoa, but these countries together have only 6% of the industry’s income. An organization of the five largest producers can help increase the income of those who are at the base of the production chain, ”explains Jorge Viana.
The Brazilian Ambassador in Ghana, Mariana Madeira, stressed that Brazil and Ghana are still narrowing relationships, with a new moment of benefit from the past and common identities to generate mutual benefits.
“This moment marks a new chapter in our relationships. Our goal is clear: expand commerce and our connections, as well as identify new partnership areas that will benefit Brazil and Ghana, ”he said.
On the Ivory Coast, the president of Apexbrasil, reinforced the need for cooperation around cocoa.
“We do not want antagonism with those who industrialize cocoa, but have a better compensation for countries that produce cocoa. And surely this will improve the lives of producers, the farmers who produce cocoa, ”he said.
Also according to Viana, the Brazilian cocoa production, which had reached about 400 thousand tons, has retreated to 50 thousand, but has returned to the level of 300 thousand, which is why the country should advance in the ranking of major producers.
“I can say, as a technician, that, due to the technology developed, in a few decades, Brazil will be among the three largest cocoa producers in the world, but we want to do it together, Africa, transferring technology, also improving the quality of cocoa that We produce, and processing the product ”.
Brazil is currently the sixth largest cocoa producer and occupies a unique position because it is a major producer who has great representation throughout the value chain, being an exporter of cocoa and chocolate derivatives.
In the country, more than 90% of the production is located in the Pará and Bahia states, especially the expansion of cacaoculture to non -traditional Bahia regions, especially in the west of the state, in the Bahian Cerrado, where cultivation occurs in full sun , with irrigation and intensive use of technologies.
The president of the Association of Farmers and Irrigants of Bahia (Aiba) and cocoa producer, Moisés Schmidt, participates in the mission and commented that, in the Bahian Cerrado, the cocoa culture stands out for precocity and productivity.
“We have in the region Bio Brasil, which is considered the largest nursery today of cocoa in Brazil and the world. This year, we are producing 3 million and 500 thousand seedlings and until 2027 we will produce 10 million seedlings per year. From the point of view of production dimension, there are about 400 hectares of cocoa. Today, we are already in the first harvests with an average production of 3,500 pounds of cocoa per hectare. So we came to show our solutions to any technology export to generate greater productivity, ”he said.
In the cocoa sector, in addition to Aiba, the West Africa mission, the Arapyaú Institute and the Cocoa Innovation Center. The sector representatives participated in visiting techniques to cocoa producing farms and meetings with representatives of the Cocoa Council in Ghana and the Cocoa and Café Board in Costa do Ivory.
According to Ricardo Gomes, representative of the Arapyaú Institute “During the technical visits in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, three central themes were highlighted. First, the climatic challenges that affect cocoa culture and the importance of more resilient production systems, such as agroforestry. In addition, the drop in production of these countries maintains global shortages, making room for Brazil to invest in cocoa technology and sustainable expansion. Finally, the need to strengthen cooperatives, expand access to financing and foster innovation to boost the sector. ”
The need to remunerate to improve those at the base of the production chain was also at the center of debates “We saw great similar with production in Brazil, but a fundamental difference, which is the issue of remuneration. African producers receive at a price reaches a maximum of the scholarship value, ”he concluded.
Cristiano Villela, director of the Cocoa Innovation Center. Following the mission’s cooperation agenda, ApexBrasil has defined a work plan with the Ivory Coast Investment Promotion Center (CEPICI), which should play topics such as food processing, value added to agricultural products, technical training , drug production and cooperation to confront tropical diseases.
