Nigeria and Brazil on Thursday, October 12, 2017, in Abuja, discussed a possible partnership on food security according to reports.
The Brazilian delegation, led by Minister of External Relations, Aloysio Nines Fereirra discussed this cooperation with Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh on the event of 2017 World Food Day celebration.
Also present at the meeting were the Nigerian Ambassador to Brazil, Christopher Okeke and Ambassador Fernando José Marroni de Abreu, the Under Secretary Africa and the Middle East along with several top officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ogbeh sought Brazil’s help in expanding Nigeria’s livestock industry requesting Brazil to provide tractors and machinery to boost the production of beef and soybeans.
This request was made with the recognition that Brazil is the world-leading exporter of beef with 35 percent share of the global supply. Fereirra also confirmed that Brazil being the world largest grower of Coffee had placed emphasis in the past 20 years, on large-scale farming which has resulted in their meeting regional demand in animal husbandry and soybeans production.
Ogbeh revealed that Nigeria required one million tractors over the next 10 years to help in value addition and to encourage its young and middle age farmers to do better work. The Federal Government beseeched Brazil to grant the offer on reasonable terms with the promise to repay on schedule.
“Nigeria sees Brazil as a very special partner with shared historical and cultural similarities. We want to deepen the corporation between us. We have great admiration for Brazil and will want it to include Nigeria in the More Food Programme policy. We need soybeans and want to improve our beef production. We don’t look after cattle here because of shortage of water. There is also the perennial clash between farmers and herdsmen,” Ogbeh said.
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