This was the outcome of a meeting held by Governor Alfredo Cornejo with Brazilian authorities. The meeting focused on implementing the Memorandum of Understanding signed between both governments in December 2024.
Governor Alfredo Cornejo led a meeting with the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Cleber Oliveira Soares, to Advance the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between both governments in December 2024. The action addresses areas related to agriculture, bilateral trade, and the possibility of selling provincially produced potassium to the neighboring country.
The Ministers of Production, Rodolfo Vargas Arizu, Energy and Environment, Jimena Latorre, and the Sub-secretary of Institutional Relations, José María Videla Sáenz, also attended the meeting. João Marcelo de Aguiar Teixeira, the Consul General of Brazil in Mendoza, and Andrea Parrilla, the Embassy’s Agricultural Attaché, were also present, which allowed them to define a common roadmap to consolidate a cooperation project in strategic sectors.
The main focus areas are an official Mission from Mendoza to Brazil, developing a joint work plan, and managing financing.
“We had a meeting within the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding signed last year between the Province and the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture,” said Videla Sáenz. He also noted that “we have made progress with a work plan in different areas related to agriculture, bilateral trade, and the possibility of selling provincially produced potassium to Brazil in the future, which is of great interest.”
Potassium, infrastructure, and international cooperation.
During the meeting, participants discussed Potasio Río Colorado’s (PRC) development as a concrete opportunity for productive integration. The initiative offers advantages over conventional models, and experts project it will significantly contribute to meeting the growing demand for fertilizers in the Brazilian market.
“Brazil is very interested in the potassium that can be produced in our province, because it could replace imports from other countries such as Russia and Belarus. As a Mercosur partner, due to proximity issues, we could sell all our potassium production to Brazil,” said Videla Sáenz.
The authorities revised the financing possibilities for three strategic works related to the project: a power line, an access road, and the reconstruction of railway branches connected to Malargüe with the leading logistics and port corridors.
Within this framework, it was agreed to draft a letter of intent detailing these infrastructures economic and logistical impacts. Governor Cornejo and Minister of Government Natalio Mema will lead the official visit to Brazil, scheduled for July to November 2025. It will include meetings with the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture officials and companies interested in joint ventures.
An agreement for regional integration
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on December 12, 2024, at the Brazilian Embassy in Buenos Aires by Cleber Soares and Sub-secretary Videla Sáenz, with powers delegated by Minister Mema and subject to approval from the provincial executive branch.
The agreement promotes cooperation in sustainable agricultural systems and infrastructure development under equity, reciprocity, and mutual benefit. It is also part of Argentina and Brazil’s Basic Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation Agreement.
In addition to potassium, the meeting addressed possibilities for exchange in the agro-industrial sector, especially regarding olive oil. “We discussed issues related to olive growing and the possibility of selling olive oil from Mendoza to Brazil, since the country is one of the main buyers of Argentine olive oil, producing only about one percent of the oil it consumes and therefore importing a huge amount. It is a significant market for our country, especially our province,” added Videla Sáenz.
He recalled that Brazil is also the leading destination for Mendoza’s agricultural products: “Eighty percent of Mendoza’s garlic production goes to Brazil, which reaffirms the importance of that market for our economy.”