Brazil beef exports hit new record
According to the country’s Ministry of Agriculture , Livestock and Supply (MAPA), beef export values are now expected to exceed $6.5bn in 2013, which would be a 15% year-on-year increase from the $5.7bn recorded last year. It added that Brazil had exported over 1.35m tonnes of beef to 130 countries so far this year.
Agriculture Minister Antonio Andrade said the result demonstrated that Brazil’s trading partners had confidence in the quality and safety of Brazilian beef. “The Brazilian health service does an exemplary job, ensuring that the requirements of inspection for food produced in the country are fulfilled to the letter. This has guaranteed security for our customers, who know that they are getting quality products. There is no wonder we are among the main beef exporters in the world,” he said.
Andrade also stressed the importance of negotiations with Russia, which recently agreed to lift a ban on Brazilian beef imposed in 2009.
President of the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporters (ABIEC), Camardelli Antonio, said that expansion of emerging markets, such as Hong Kong, had also driven significant growth. “We also had a significant increase in the negotiations carried out with Venezuela and Middle Eastern countries, including Iran and Israel,” he said.
According to data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Brazil is the world’s biggest beef exporter this year, ahead of India and Australia.
In a bid to boost exports, Brazil has intensified its inspection programme, which is managed by the Federal Inspection Service (SIF). over recent years. According to the latest data from MAPA, SIF operates in 278 slaughterhouses across Brazil and compliance with animal health standards is around 90.51%.
