Brazil and Thailand sign agricultural cooperation MoU

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (Mapa in Portuguese) signed an agricultural cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to strengthen technology and information exchange in the sector.

Brazil and Thailand agreed to work together on agricultural projects such as livestock, vegetable crops, cooperatives, soil, water, and resource management. The agreement also calls for the establishment of new cooperatives and farming institutions, as well as the management and conservation of agricultural biodiversity. Finally, integrated pest management and ecological engineering are also planned activities. In addition, the memo discusses alternative energy sources, including processes and production.

The MoU was signed on the 16th by the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand, Chalermchai Sreeon, in the presence of the Brazilian ambassador to Bangkok, José Borges dos Santos Júnior. Minister Tereza Cristina had previously signed the memo on March 11th.

The memorandum of understanding will be in effect for five years, extendable for additional five-year periods.

Brazil and Thailand bilateral relations

Currently, Thailand is the largest importer of Brazilian agribusiness products in Southeast Asia. This represents a 2.09% participation in Thai trade for Brazil, placing Thailand among the top five importers of Brazilian agribusiness products in 2021. (AgroStat data – 2021)

Soybeans and their derivative products continue to be Brazil’s most exported products to Thailand. Exports from the soy complex totaled US$ 2,516,771,150 in 2021, representing a 28% increase over the previous year. Leather exports stood out, reaching US$ 41,175,873, a nearly 23% increase over 2020.

In third comes forest products with an increase of more than 26% compared to the previous year, totaling US$ 39,790,221. Finally, beef exports leaped 58% in 2021, totaling US$34,015,788.

Other Brazilian agribusiness products, such as cereals, oilseed products, cocoa, sugar, alcohol, and beverages, increased their export volumes.

Thailand stands out as a vital food exporter, especially in the case of rice, natural rubber, chicken, sugar, processed tuna, tapioca flour, and shrimp. As a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the country has been strengthening its trade partnerships through free trade agreements with several countries in Asia and Oceania, considered strategic for the trade of its agricultural products.

Brazil imported US$ 217,853,574 in Thai agribusiness products in 2021, with natural rubber accounting for 80% of total imports, followed by rice, vegetable oils and extracts, seeds, and pet food.

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