Hylton

The governments of Jamaica and Brazil have both signed off on two agreements aimed at assisting the modernisation of the local sugar industry, the development of ethanol, and technical cooperation in tropical fruit processing.

Senator Anthony Hylton, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Minister of External Affairs of Brazil, Celso Amorim, both signed the agreements on behalf of their respective countries, while Mr. Hylton was on a two-day visit to Brazil last week. The agreements also focus on training Jamaicans in production and management practices in the sugar industry, said a release from the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Cane varieties

The Brazilians have also given the undertaking to identify various sugar cane varieties that are adaptable to Jamaican conditions, including those resistant to drought.

Brazil has also agreed to explore the possibility of providing technical assistance to Jamaica in the building of a soyabean processing plant and in the production of castor bean oil for use as bio-fuel.

Mr. Hylton expressed the Government's interest in having Brazil's energy company, Petrobras, participate in oil and gas exploration currently being undertaken in Jamaican waters.

The minister said he had fruitful discussions with COSAN, Brazil's largest sugar company, on its possible involvement in the local sugar and ethanol sectors.

Strategic cooperation

Apart from providing the framework for the strategic cooperation in the field of energy, Mr. Hylton's extensive discussions also embraced a range of cooperation issues, including assistance from Brazil in supplying antiretroviral drugs to treat HIV/AIDS patients and air transport linkages between Jamaica and Brazil, said the release.

Discussions also finalised an agreement to begin the teaching of Portuguese as of September 2007 at the University of the West Indies by a professor from Brazil.