Brasília, 1/28/2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - In an attempt to keep Parmalat functioning in Brazil, where it was buying around a large percentage of milk production in important states such as Paraná, Minas Gerais and São Paulo, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, deputy João Paulo Cunha (PT-SP), met with the executive director of Parmalat's operations in Brazil, José Antônio do Prado Fay. Cunha said congress would seek to ensure that jobs and farmer revenue were preserved, while looking into possible corporate wrongdoings. He said Prado Fay promised that Parmalat would honor its contracts.

Cunha announced that Parmalat managers would be meeting with representatives of the Banco do Brasil and the Ministry of Agriculture to find a way to keep the company operating in Brazil. He said he would personally oversee the talks. (AB)