Agro firm eyes Qatari investments for cost-effective farms in Brazil

A Brazilian agribusiness firm is in talks with several Qatari institutions to set up the ‘Qatar-Brazil Agro Platform’ and to bring its expertise in food security, grain warehousing and processing, and agricultural production to Qatar.Agroinvest Brasil CEO Moises Pinto Gomes said the company has held dialogues with QInvest, Widam Food, and Hassad Food to discuss the platform, including the ‘Matopiba Fund’, which was designed for land acquisition and agricultural production projects in Brazil.Through the ‘Matopiba Fund’, Qatar can invest in cost-effective farms in Brazil for food production, which could later on be exported to Qatar, said Gomes, who spoke to Gulf Times on the sidelines of the three-day ‘Qatar Self-sufficiency Exhibition 2018’, which concludes today (April 3).The fund’s capital of up to $500mn will be used to acquire farms, which will be upgraded and prepared for the production of grain (rice, soy beans, seed, and corn). The fund will actively manage and operate the production prior to disposal of land and farming operations.“The idea behind this platform is to take advantage of the situation we have in Brazil such as the cheaper price of land, to invest in partnership with Qatari companies with Brazil in land and production, and bring these products to Qatar and to distribute it here.“Brazil is producing products that Qatar needs and they are cheaper such as rice, soybean, corn, fruits and vegetables; on the protein side, we are talking about red meat, sheep, and fish. The initiative aims to bring Qatari investments into Brazil and to export food products in a safe and secure process back to Qatar,” he said.Gomes said Agroinvest Brasil is offering the platform, which has the opportunity to establish a base in Qatar, enabling the company to bring Brazilian technology and expertise to help Qatar run farms and its agro-sector.“If Qatar wants to establish production lines in the country, Brazil can bring in its expertise and technology. Because they have the investment, we can bring both food and technology to Qatar to generate jobs here and not in Brazil,” he pointed out.He added: “Qatar took the right decision to invest and focus on self-sufficiency, which is to have control of the process and not only in production. We brought this idea to Qatar because we fully support the government in its thrust to invest in the food sector.”Agroinvest Brasil is among the many companies participating in the QSSE 2018 being held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre.Leading Qatari companies also lauded the QSSE 2018, “as the perfect platform” to set cross-industry agenda to drive Qatar’s transformation towards a diverse, sustainable economy.