Paraguay summer and winter crops in 2010 totalled 12.688.908 tons establishing a new record according to agronomist Luis Cubilla from the Agriculture Biotechnology Institute. The last best harvest was in 2008 with 10.5 million tons.
Venezuela’s incorporation to Mercosur as full member seems closer as the Paraguayan Senate readies to consider the issue following on political agreements worked out by President Fernando Lugo.
The Paraguayan Executive sent this week to congress a bill requesting the incorporation of Venezuela to Mercosur. Paraguay’s legislative confirmation is the last step to complete the long process, begun in 2006, for Venezuela to become a full member of the South American block currently made up of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay.
Brazil’s influential Foreign Affairs minister Celso Amorim revealed that his major obstacle in his eight years in the post was “breaking mental barriers” particularly in advancing relations among countries in the South and promoting such organizations as Mercosur and Unasur.
Rio Grande in the south of Brazil has rapidly become the main competitor of the port of Montevideo based on a sustained expansion, deep dredging, the construction of new piers and update equipment.
Trade among Latinamerican countries is expected to increase 22% during 2010, which is higher than forecasted, according to the UN Economic Commission for Latinamerica and the Caribbean, Cepal. This follows a drop of 0.9% in 2009 when the full impact of the global crisis.
The European Union Mercosur trade agreement is still far from becoming a reality and the coming Ibero-American summit in Mar del Plata early December is not expected to signal any significant achievement in this field, according to Spanish political analysts who anticipate some advances towards the end of next year.
Brazilian president-elect Dilma Rousseff must inject more life to the institutional strength of Mercosur and the Union of South American Nations, Unasur, and then push for integration with Central America and the Caribbean, said Marco Aurelio García, President Lula da Silva advisor on foreign affairs.
Bilateral trade among Mercosur main partners, Argentina and Brazil is expected to reach a “historic record” of almost 34 billion US dollars this year, 80% of which mostly manufactured goods, according to Argentine Industry minister Deborayh Giorgi, who also anticipated that the deficit would drop 30%.
Scottish farmers have openly expressed their opposition to the ongoing trade talks between the European Union and Mercosur demanding guarantees on human health, animal health and food safety before any additional access for imported products from the South American block is agreed.