Brazil and Malaysia Discuss Expanded Agricultural Trade Relations

Carlos Fávaro, Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, met with Datuk Sabu, Malaysia’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, and his delegation on Tuesday, August 20, at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) headquarters in Brasília to discuss enhancing trade relations focused on agribusiness.

Minister Fávaro emphasized the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening economic ties between Brazil and Global South countries, as well as the role of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) in developing agricultural technologies. “We are open to formalizing a cooperation agreement between Brazil and Malaysia so that Embrapa can assist in developing more efficient technologies and production systems,” he said.

During the meeting, the Malaysian Agriculture Minister proposed a cooperation agreement between Embrapa and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) to enhance competitiveness in corn production.

The discussion also covered Malaysia’s interest in collaborating on research related to industrial crops and the coconut industry. In response, Brazil expressed interest in expanding its fruit exports to Asia.

Fávaro also highlighted Brazil’s efforts to ensure sanitary and phytosanitary control of national products for export.

The Malaysian Agriculture Minister also expressed interest in increasing imports of Brazilian Halal proteins. All beef, poultry, and dairy products require Halal certification to enter Malaysia. Currently, Brazil has seven certified plants authorized to export chicken meat to Malaysia.

Trade Relations

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock’s Department of Commerce and International Relations (SCRI), Brazilian exports of agricultural products to Malaysia totaled $1.2 billion in 2023. Three key products dominated: raw sugar (56%), corn (20%), and cotton (7%), accounting for 83% of the total.

Brazil imported $100 million worth of goods from Malaysia in 2023, with vegetable oils (61%), palm oil (20%), and cocoa paste (7%) comprising 88% of the total imports.

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