TEHRAN – Iranian Agriculture Minister Javad Sadati-Nejad said the Islamic Republic is going to exchange two million tons of urea fertilizer with livestock feed input with Brazil through barter trade.

Sadati-Nejad made the remarks after a meeting with Brazil's Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply Minister Tereza Cristina Corrêa da Costa Dias, IRIB reported on Saturday.

During the meeting, the officials announced their countries’ willingness for the expansion of mutual agricultural cooperation to balance the exchanges between the two countries.

Referring to the unbalanced trade between Iran and Brazil, Sadati-Nejad stated: "At the present time, there are new opportunities to develop cooperation between the two countries, and we hope to use all these opportunities."

Emphasizing that preferential trade between the two countries should be established, he added: "Iran is a hub for the production of high-quality urea fertilizer and Brazil is a major producer of livestock inputs, so we can meet each other's needs in these sectors."

The Brazilian minister for her part pointed to establishing a joint advisory committee, holding exhibitions, and selling Iranian agricultural products in local stores in Brazil as ways for the Brazilian people to get to know more about Iranian products, in order to pave the way for the development of cooperation between the two countries.

The Brazilian minister who visited Iran heading a 30-member delegation at the official invitation of the Iranian Agriculture Minister traveled to Fars province after arriving at Tehran on Thursday.

Cristina met with the members of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture of Fars province in Shiraz.

Speaking in this meeting, the Brazilian minister noted that the Latin American country wants to maintain exports to Iran and expand imports from the Islamic Republic in order to reach a trade balance in agricultural exchanges.

As to the goal of her visit to Iran, she said that Brazil is keen to enhance agricultural cooperation because all countries should help supply qualitative and affordable foodstuff worldwide.

Given technological capacity and suitable lands for cultivation in Brazil, the country is ready to attract Iranian investors; so, the face-to-face negotiations can help reach consensus in this regard, she said.

Referring to the fact that agriculture and animal husbandry are modern and developed in her country, the minister said Brazil can assist other countries in terms of food security because of its advancement in this field.

"In Brazil, there is no problem regarding drought and water shortage for agriculture, and Brazil can complement Iranian agriculture," Cristina said.

She also mentioned statistics of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), saying that demands for foodstuff will rise up to 60 percent; thus, food-producing countries should develop and implement new methods of cultivation and harvest.

The minister pointed to the fact that trade between Iran and Brazil is being conducted via intermediary countries, adding that the bilateral businesses focus on products such as corn, soybean, and so on.

Brazil is importing urea chemical fertilizer from Iran, she said, expressing hope that the item will expand to fertilizer for products such as pistachio, almond, and saffron.

The minister further noted that some Brazilian companies and banks are eager to facilitate the process of trade with Iran and solve some of the existing problems.

EF/MA