Brazil pushes deeper agri-tech, livestock ties with India amid US tariffs

Brazil calls for greater trade diversification to counter the negative impact of rising US tariffs

Brazil's Minister of Agrarian Development and Family Farming Paulo Teixeira on Thursday pitched for deeper cooperation between India and Brazil in agriculture, livestock genetics and artificial intelligence (AI), while calling for greater trade diversification to counter the negative impact of rising US tariffs.

 

Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of an AI-Enabled Integrated Command Centre for Risk Intelligence (ICCRI) and AI-powered large-scale intelligence platform, ‘KEDAR–PARVATI’ by Leads Connect, one of India's leading agritech firm, Teixeira told Business Standard that Brazil is keen to collaborate with Indian firms developing AI-driven farm solutions.

 

Addressing concerns over elevated US tariffs affecting agricultural exports, Teixeira said such measures tend to create inflationary pressures within the US itself.

 

He argued that the best response for both India and Brazil is to deepen bilateral trade and diversify markets. “At the same time that the US elevates tariffs, we have to increase commerce between India and Brazil,” he said, adding that Brazil’s diversified trade portfolio has helped cushion the impact of such measures. 

 

Referring to Leads Connect showcasing satellite-based risk assessment tools, Teixeira, who is also part of the high-powered delegation accompanying Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his five-day state visit to India, said such technologies could be highly relevant for Brazilian farmers.

 

“There are tools that Brazil doesn’t yet have. It is very interesting to take these technologies to Brazil,” Teixeira noted, adding that at the same time Brazil is looking to share its expertise in animal genetics with India.

 

Highlighting advances in genetic improvement of cattle, the minister said Brazil has developed technologies that enhance milk productivity in Zebu breeds— cattle that originally trace their lineage to India. 

 

“Brazil has technologies in animal genetics that help increase milk production of cattle originally from India,” he said.

 

Navneet Ravikar, chairman managing director of Leads Connect and CEO of BL Agro (parent company of Leads Connect), said that its sister concern, Leads Agri Genetics, has imported embryos from Brazil to India for the first time and impregnated 120 Indian cows with Zebu embryos sourced from Brazil under a joint programme, and production is currently underway.

 

Meanwhile, beyond livestock, Teixeira identified biological inputs as a key area for collaboration.

 

“It’s a new moment that agriculture is living in the world,” he said, referring to the growing role of biological fertilisers and biological pesticides.

 

On AI interventions, he described a “world of possibilities,” including facial intelligence software and satellite-enabled tools to manage agricultural risks.