The organisation explained that the approval of four Brazilian slaughterhouses by Russian veterinary services after an 11-month embargo explained the surge in exports to the country, which reached 13,914 tonnes (t) in April.
However, ABIPECS warned that as the Russian health inspection services were still publishing negative reports on Brazilian abattoirs, it was difficult to predict a further outlook on that market.
From January to April this year, Brazil sold 30,293t of pork to Russia, a fall of 55.59% in volume over the same period in 2011.
The second-largest buyer of Brazilian pork in April was Ukraine, with 11,841t (24.81% of total exports), a 189% increase on last year. Third came Hong Kong, with 17.46% of shipments, followed by Angola and Singapore.
Meanwhile, Argentinian import restrictions are still taking their toll on Brazilian exports, and ABIPECS warned that Brazil did not even know the criteria to obtain authorisation from the Argentine government.
The organisation’s president Pedro de Camargo Neto said: “ABIPECS reiterates the obligation of the federal government to enforce the Treaty of Asunción that created Mercosur. We recognise the goodwill of Agriculture Minister Mendes Ribeiro, but he seems to have failed to support the rest of the federal government. It took three months and the solution is not in sight.”
Exports to Argentina dropped 85.46% year-on-year in volume, with only 473t, and 87.66% in revenue (US$1.6m), in April.
Overall, Brazilian pork exports went down 6.3% in volume and 13.89% in revenue in April, with 47,734t and US$125.22m.