KUALA LUMPUR: Brazil, Latin America’s largest market, is confident that its bilateral trade ties with Malaysia will strengthen in the years to come.
Its Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food supply, Blairo Maggi, said Malaysia poses an opportunity for Brazil as a halal hub and entry point for the Asean market.
“Brazil is a major producer of animal and vegetable protein, such as beef, poultry, corn, soybean as well as cotton,” he said, adding that the products could be exported to Malaysia to be processed and packaged before being exported to other Asean countries.
Maggi was speaking to reporters at a press conference of the Brazil-Malaysia business talk here today.
Meanwhile, the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) Secretary General Ambassador Syed Hussein Al Habshee said Malaysia is facing a shortage of poultry and beef meat.
He urged the government to look into the export policy of meat and poultry from Brazil, in line with fostering free trade between Malaysia and Brazil.
“Doing so would ensure that prices (of meat and poultry) are competitive and would be reduced (when there is more supply) for the benefit of the rakyat,” he said.