The province of Saskatchewan recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Brazilian state of Goiás aimed at strengthening cooperation in agriculture, mining, technology and education. Saskatchewan Trade and Export Development Minister Warren Kaeding spoke with the Western Standard in an interview days after the memorandum was signed on February 25 during Saskatchewan’s trade and investment mission to Brazil. “Signing today's MOU with Goias was a step toward a stronger economy for both our regions,” Kaeding said in a statement announcing the agreement. “Saskatchewan shares much in common with the state of Goias, including our priority sectors of agriculture, mining, education, and technology.”The agreement follows discussions between Saskatchewan officials and Brazilian counterparts who identified similarities between the two regions’ agricultural sectors and economic priorities.“We definitely found an awful lot of synergies with the state of Goiás and with how agriculture is done here in Saskatchewan,” Kaeding told the Western Standard. “There’s just so many synergies, similarities that we’ve got between Saskatchewan and the state of Goiás.”Under the memorandum, officials will explore opportunities in agriculture, minerals, technology and education as both governments begin developing areas of cooperation.“The MOU is focused on ag, on minerals, on tech and education,” Kaeding said. “Each one of those certainly has opportunities that we’re going to be able to explore in each one of those key sectors.”Brazil remains a top destination for Saskatchewan’s exports, in 2024, Saskatchewan exports to the South American nation totaled $1.1 billion. During the first nine months of 2025, exports reached $1.3 billion, driven largely by shipments of potash used in agricultural fertilizer.Agriculture remains a natural starting point for the partnership given the importance of the sector to both regions. Saskatchewan is one of Canada’s leading agricultural producers, while Goiás is a major farming state in central Brazil..Kaeding said the next steps after the MOU will include increasing information sharing between industries and governments while encouraging exchanges between producers, researchers and policymakers.One potential opportunity could involve hosting Brazilian officials and agricultural representatives at Ag in Motion, a large farm technology exhibition held annually in Saskatchewan that attracts producers, researchers and equipment manufacturers from across the world.Beyond agriculture, the agreement could also open the door to cooperation in academic research, particularly in agricultural science and innovation.“They really want to explore expanding the opportunities in advanced education… because they know that we really excel in ag research,” Kaeding said.Critical minerals and rare earth development could also become an important focus of future collaboration.“I see an awful lot of opportunities that we can develop in building a critical minerals value chain,” Kaeding said.Officials in Goiás also described the agreement as the beginning of a broader partnership.“The MOU is just a starting point, since we have a long and bright future ahead,” said Giordano de Souza, chief of the Foreign Affairs Office of the State of Goiás. “Goias is willing to cooperate with Saskatchewan with the certainty that this is going to be a win-win partnership.”Kaeding said the memorandum represents an early step in building stronger economic ties that could lead to broader trade and investment opportunities between Saskatchewan and partners across Latin America.The minister said Brazil also represents a strategic entry point for broader trade expansion across South America.“We also recognize that Brazil is kind of the gateway to Mercosur and to a lot of the other South American markets that are there,” Kaeding told the Western Standard.Mercosur is a South American trade bloc that includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. On February 26, Argentina and Uruguay became the first countries to ratify the European Union–Mercosur trade agreement, a deal expected to create a combined free trade zone for over 700 million people.Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to visit Brazil next month, however the PMO is yet to confirm any firm travel dates, the PMO media office did not reply to the Western Standard’s inquiry in time.
