During a press conference held in France on Tuesday (22), the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MPLS), Blairo Maggi, said that Europe works with many subsidies, not used in Brazilian agriculture and, therefore, one must be “very attentive to this openness, so that it does not compromise the growth of certain agroindustries”. However, Maggi stressed that the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur is very close. The Minister is traveling to France to receive the OIE certification of FMD free country with vaccination.
“In fact, when it comes to meat, Europe is self-sufficient and the quotas offered to Mercosur are nothing more than the recomposition of numbers that we had ten years ago or something. So, on the part of agriculture, we are going to accept the agreement, but we do not have that enthusiasm, which many say we would have, “said Maggi. But, according to the minister, there are pending issues such as the geographical indication, “which worries, being a sensitive issue for Europe and also for Brazil. An issue that is still being discussed to come to an understanding. “
In relation to dairy products, Maggi also said that there is “difficulty in accepting the open market, because the structure of milk production in Brazil is made by small farmers, by a family farming, even subsistence. And since we do not have a system of protection through incentives, via subsidies, the liberation of the market without any conditions would mean that thousands of small Brazilian producers would not support the competition. “