Brasília, 24 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The general director of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), Alberto Portugal, took office yesterday (23) as the chairman of the Forum of the Americas for Agricultural Research and Technological Development (Foragro), during a meeting of the group in Brasília. Portugal will head the discussion committee in 2002 and 2003. According to him, the Forum will discuss the agricultural challenges, global changes, use of new technologies, access to markets, tax barriers and competitiveness.

The meeting shares experiences and promotes projects of scientific cooperation, by stimulating the exchange of information among the 34 American democracies. The meeting also addresses the difficulties relative to the development and the incentives to the increasing of the agricultural production, as well as the careful use of water resources. According to the Brazilian representative of the Interamerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Gertjan Beekman, ways should be found to rationalize de use of water and increase production. (WPS)