Brasília, February 9, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - One of the results of the trip to Asia made by a commission composed of government representatives was the end to a 23 year-old impasse that kept Japan from buying mangoes from Brazil.

According to the secretary of Agricultural Inspection, Maçao Tadano, the two countries are concluding a bilateral protocol to permit commercialization of the product. "Japan didn't buy from Brazil, due to sanitary barriers," he explains.

South Korea, for its part, is concluding the preparation of a certificate for the purchase of fresh and processed chicken. "Within 60 days we shall be exporting to South Korea," the secretary foresees. That country is also studying importing fruit from Brazil.

Entrepreneurs from Taiwan are interested in buying apples and grapes from Brazil. According to the secretary, the condition imposed by Taiwan is that Brazil present a report on the diseases that exist and those that have been eliminated in Brazilian plantations and herds. (DAS)