Embrapa Rice and Beans received a mission formed by members of the high-ranking officials of the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and one of its senators, as well as the members of the Agency's Implementation of the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) today (September 5) - see the composition of the delegation below. The visitors came with an interest in the studies the Embrapa Unit conducted aimed at smallholders, especially the machinery and soil research. This is the first time that the research center has received a mission from such country because there are no direct collaboration actions between Embrapa Rice and Beans and the Ethiopian government. Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE) of Brazil, via ABC, with the support of GIZ, the visit began by welcoming the Head of Embrapa Rice & Beans, Alcido Elenor Wander, and the presentation of each member of the mission, which had Dr. Steffen Schulz as a representative of GIZ, a body whose work in Brazil focuses on renewable energy, energy efficiency, protection and sustainable use of the rainforest. The reception was also attended by the unit's head of Research and Development (R&D), Élcio Guimarães, and by the researcher Mellissa Soler, who is working in the line of soil management, chemistry and conservation, which is part of the visitor's area of interest in their trip to Brazil, according to the ABC's analyst, and André Gustavo de Barros, who pointed out that the existence of a collaborative project between Embrapa and the Government of Ethiopia, regarding the correction of acid soils. After the speech of ABC’s general coodinator of bilateral cooperation in Africa, Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania, and the Middle East, Antônio Junqueira, who thanked Embrapa Rice and Beans' availability to meet the request and emphasized the importance and usefulness of such exchange of experiences, the head of Embrapa Rice and Beans made a presentation about Embraba as a whole and Embrapa Rice and Beans in particular - its research and areas of expertise, pointing out that the unit works in close collaboration with many other African countries. Right after that, Mellissa Soler presented unit's works involving the management of soils with acidity characteristics. The researcher talked about the equipment used for fertility observation and verification of the amount of limestone needed to make the soil productive. Melissa statedthat , however, the analysis can be more effective by considering the system's fertilization as a whole, including other crops ( rotation), analyzing the nutrient movement caused by the roots. The visitors were then introduced to the equipment developed at Embrapa Rice and Beans, intended for smallholders. At this moment a brief introduction was given by the head of Embrapa Rice and Beans and by the head of R&D, and was led by the researchers José Geral do da Silva and Adriano Nascente, who spoke about the machines and equipment used in the distribution and incorporation of limestone in the soil. Composition of the mission Standing Committee on Agriculture at the Ethiopian Congress Sr. Almaz Melese (Senator) Ministry of Agriculture of Ethiopia Mr. Germame Garuma (Director of Extension Services) Mr. Tefera Solomon (Director of Soil Fertility Improvement – GIZ ISFM Project) Mr. Kiflu Gudeta Wake (Information and Soil Mapping) Mr. Alemnesh Hadidu (Soil Fertility Improvement – GIZ ISFM Project) Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) Dr. Temesgen Desale Amhara Region Mr. Tilahun Fentaw Teshome (Agriculture Advisor to the “Governor" of Amhara) Mr. Salomão Assefa Derese (Secretary of Agriculture of Amhara state) Office of the German cooperation agency (GIZ – Ethiopia) Dr. Steffen Schulz Dr. Teklu Erkos Translation: Emanuelle Galdino, supervised by Mariana Medeiros