Virtual Entrepreneur

Isaura Daniel:
If it depends of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply of Brazil, Ronaldinho will not be the only star of the World Cup. Attention will be divided with soy, coffee, meats, fruit and orange juice. The Brazilian government wants to show the world that Brazil does not only have quality football. ‘We want to put in the head of consumers from Germany and other countries that Brazil is a great agricultural producer and that the country has quality food,’ stated the joint Agribusiness Foreign Relations secretary, Lino Colsera.

Brazil is going to promote in German cities like Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt, which will host games, the foods that the country produces. The campaign for the Brazilian team that comes from crops, has already begun. Since May 29, it’s possible to see in Berlin 125 backlights that show the most popular face of the country abroad, like beaches and football, with agricultural production and livestock. The city subway will have 36 panels with similar images. Munich will also receive billboards and the onboard magazine of the German airline Lufthansa, includes the campaign’s ads.

According to Colsera, foreigners normally don’t know that they are consuming Brazilian foods. ‘It is important for consumers to know the quality and sanitary aspects of the products,’ stated the general coordinator of Foreign Market Actions at the Department for International Promotion of Agribusiness at the Agribusiness Foreign Relations Secretariat, Telma Gondo. Coffee is one of the Brazilian food products that the Germans are learning a little more about. The drink is being offered at Brazilian cultural events like exhibitions and shows, promoted in Germany by the Ministry of Culture making use of the Cup. ‘Some people have already shown surprise at our coffee,’ explained the secretary.

Apart from publicity and sampling, there will also be press conferences and seminars about national agribusiness. On July 07th, the minister of Agriculture of Brazil, Roberto Rodrigues, is going to receive the press at the Brazilian embassy in Berlin to discuss the matter. At the site there will be coffee sampling. Between July 8 and 11 the Brazil Germany Chamber of Commerce is going to promote a business forum with businessmen from both countries in which Rodrigues will be honoured. In the sidelines there will be meetings between the Brazil-Germany Joint Committee, an official mechanism for discussion of relations between both countries.

On June 12, the Ministry of Agriculture of Brazil will give a talk at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. According to Lino Colsera, the objective of the seminar is to show that agribusiness may promote the country’s development. ‘We are going to promote the concept of agribusiness, which is not as widespread in Europe. They do not have a perception of how profound this concept is, of the importance of agribusiness to the economy of a country and not only to a farm,’ he said. The model of the campaign for promotion of Brazilian food will also be used by the government in other events abroad, like fairs.

Promising Crop
Agribusiness is one of the powerhouses of the Brazilian economy and also a great generator of income. In the last 12 months, covering the period between June 2005 and May of this year, Brazilian agribusiness had revenues of US$ 44.7 billion with exports. The value is 9.3% greater than in the previous months. The sector had, in the period, a trade surplus of US$ 39 billion. In this year’s crop, the country should harvest 120.3 million tonnes of grain. The crop will be 5.6% greater than last year’s. The cropland in the country is 49.1 million hectares. Brazil should pick 41.5 million tonnes of maize and 51.5 million tonnes of soy.

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