Expert: Edison - 2/8/2012

Question
Hi Edison !
Namaste!

Once again I am in front of you. In January, I married my Brazilian wife (after four years relationship) but I am still in India. My father-in-law has two big farms in Piaui but they are in very primitive condition.My wife wants me to take care of these dry-land farms.I think Indian tropical fruits and medicinal plantation would be appropriate in such sort of land, and beneficial to Brazil as a result. In India we have several species of mango. It is noteworthy that Brazilian cattle and many of fruits, including mango, have Indian origin. However, I do not have any idea how to import these things from India to Brazil. Would you help me ?

Other thing, I am not sure how far my PhD can help Brazilian society thus I am thinking to open Indian restaurant in Salvador. Does Brazilian population like to test various ethnic tastes? Can I think of Indian confectioneries, snacks and sweets etc? I know the Bahian people like spicy foods like in India and Salvadorian cuisine is very exotic to the world. Thanks!

With Regards
Rajsakya

Answer
Hello Rajsakya,

Congratulations for your marriage.

Question 1 - tropical fruits and medicinal plantation

I like your idea of starting a tropical fruits and medicinal plantation in Piaui. However, I am not familiar with the laws for importing seeds, plants and fruits. My recommendation is to contact a Brazilian consulate in India for help: http://brazil.visahq.com/embassy/India/

Also, You should ask your wife and family to contact the EMATER, EMBRAPA and local universities for help. These organizations have done a lot of research in this area and often can help to select the best plants for the soil and climate of the region.

EMATER: http://www.emater.pi.gov.br/index.php  (Portuguese only, but google translation does a good job in converting to English)
EMBRAPA: http://www.embrapa.br/english
Federal University of Piaui: http://ufpi.br/index.php (Portuguese only)

I also found a research paper about mango for clima like Piaui: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbeaa/v6n3/v6n3a02.pdf (Portuguese)


Question 2 - Indian restaurant in Salvador

I love Indian food and believe that people in Salvador would like it too.

I did a quick research on the web and found only one Indian restaurant in Salvador. So, the market is very open. I recommend starting the business in the most affluent areas of the city, which is a safer place to live and people have more money to spend.

Indian Restaurant in Salvador: http://www.atrapalo.com.br/restaurantes/indianos-salvador_c45_d1663.html.
Salvador Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvador,_Bahia

Try to contact expatriates living in Salvador for location recommendations:
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/living/living_abroad/living_in_brazil
http://www.expat-blog.com/en/directory/south-america/brazil/
http://www.expatriates.com/classifieds/brazil/  

Good luck and keep me inform of your progress.

Edison