Brazilian and Portuguese government ministers have signed a memorandum to encourage fruit trade and agricultural information sharing between the two countries.

Brazilian Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) Antonio Andrade received his Portuguese counterpart Assunção Cristas in Brasilia, highlighting imports of the Iberian nation's oil, pears wine and fish.

"Our relationship with Portugal is very good and they depend on us, we will make efforts to strengthen this trade," Andrade said in a Brazilian government release.

A Portuguese government release said annual fruit exports to Brazil currently stood at €40 million (US$52.5 million), with Cristas labeling the agreement as a "very important step" for penetrating the South American giant's fruit market.

"It involves opening doors so that Portuguese fruit producers can easily arrive in the market and to Brazilian consumers, who are enjoying a lot of our fruit from pears to chestnuts to table grapes to peaches," she said in the release.

She added the agreement would help overcome bureaucratic issues and non-tariff barriers that often impede exports to the country.

Antônio Andrade and Assunção Cristas

Portugal currently sends around €29 million (US$38 million) worth of wine to Brazil annually, along with about €150 million (US$196 million) in oil.

For Brazilian opportunities in Portugal, the agreement slates the possibility of Brazil  to create value for its products there, with "direct access to the European Union's 500 million inhabitants, overcoming all barriers that Brazilian products normally have".

The signed document covers many other areas, including aims to stimulate information exchange, and the participation of both countries in exhibitions, seminars and conferences dealing with fruit trade.

The agreement also mentions the intention of developing training programs between the two countries in technical quality, plant health, risk management and agricultural surveillance systems.

Cristas invited Andrade to attend the Portuguese food fair Alimentaria & Horexpo Lisboa, where 10 Brazilian companies from the meat, alcohol and coffee industries will be attending.

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