On Saturday (11), the Rio Grande nse Do Arroz Institute received a visit from delegations from four countries. Representatives from China, the United Arab Emirates, Ghana and Nigeria were at the Rice Experimental Station and irga Administrative Headquarters. The visit aimed at market prospecting, taking into account that Rio Grande do Sul is responsible for approximately 70% of the rice produced in Brazil, being cultivated in 183 municipalities in the state.

The delegations were received by the president of the municipality, Rodrigo Machado, by the Research Manager Dr. Gabriela Fonseca and the heads of each Research Section to present the Institution, the main activities and research developed by the EEA Irga.

After visiting the EEA in Cachoeirinha, the comctives went to irga's Administrative Headquarters in Porto Alegre.

The head of the Nigerian delegation, the Major General of the Nigerian Army, MT Durowaiye, signaled to the president of the municipality, Rodrigo Machado, interest in the technology applied to rice planting, including in the rotation of grain crops with corn and soybeans.

UAE representative Abdalla Alkindi said the country imports rice for the security stocks of India and Pakistan, and the visit to Irga opens the possibility of including Brazil in this grain export route.

For the president of the municipality Rodrigo Machado, the interest of different countries demonstrates how important and effective the research of the institute is. "Today we received the visit of four countries in our institute, it is evidenced here, how much the research and work developed in Irga, 82 years ago, are important and respected around the world." stressed Rodrigo.

On technology transfer, Machado talked about the importance of interest, but any advance will be discussed within the deliberative council of the municipality.

Invitations

During the visit representatives from Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates showed interest in receiving representatives and researchers from the Rio Grande do Arroz Institute in their respective countries.

The Nigerian Army and government will send an invitation to an irga international mission on Nigerian land in order to formalize the mutual cooperation agreement between Rio Grande do Sul and Nigeria, as well as to bring the Brazilian delegation to a technical visit to the facilities in the fields belonging to the African country's Army.

Due to the possibility of technological agreement for rice planting in desert areas, as already happens with some crops, the possibility of an Irga mission to the UAE in December, so that the country can advance in agricultural and food production issues.

After a technical visit, the delegations, the traditional carreteiro and milk rice of Irga, made by the gastronomy team of the municipality, were offered to the delegations.

At the end of the meeting, the president of Irga, Rodrigo Machado thanked the delegations and the Secretariats of State for working together for the meeting. "It is important to note that the visit of these delegations to Irga was a joint state action in which the Secretariat of Economic Development (Sedec) and the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Sustainable Production and Irrigation (Seapi) are involved. I thank secretary Ernani Polo very much for the partnership, the entire sedec team, in the person of the director of the Department of Commercial Promotion and International Affairs (DPCI), Evaldo Silva Júnior and secretary Giovani Feltes, a great working partner, who is being tireless in the agendas, struggles and aspirations of Irga. We also appreciate the presence of our advisor, José Carlos Gross and the president of the Camaquã Cereal Cooperative, Volzear Longaray Jr." said Machado.

Source: Agrolink