Brazil waiting for reply on RI cocoa

Brazil waiting for reply on RI cocoa

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuter): The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture
is still awaiting a reply from the Indonesian embassy which could
allow it to give the go-ahead to imports of Indonesian cocoa, a
ministry official said.

The ministry contacted the embassy after receiving a request
from a group of four companies seeking to bring in cocoa given an
anticipated supply shortfall of up to 15,000 tons during the
upcoming midcrop (May/September).

Local growers in the Bahian region have formally given their
blessing to imports up to August.

An official at the Indonesian embassy said there had so far
been no news from Jakarta but that he hoped to receive a reply
shortly.

"I hope next week there will be a response. We marked it
urgent," the official said.

The Indonesian embassy has been asked to check conditions in a
particular growing region are unchanged from the end of 1995 when
a group of Brazilian officials visited the region and certified
there was no risk of pest or disease.

Brazilian traders have already said it is unlikely Indonesia
will be able to supply all Brazil's needs in the coming months.

But it is currently the only country which has been pre-
certified as free of risk by the Brazilian government following
new regulations set down after a number of problems with the
purchase of 5,000 tons of Ivorian beans in 1995.

The Brazilian Agriculture Ministry official said he had
received enquiries about the possibility of importing cocoa from
African nations although he stressed there had been no official
request to begin a full risk assessment survey.