Argentina opens up Moroccan market with bovine fat deal

Argentina’s Ministry of Agriculture has revealed that Morocco has authorised imports of its edible bovine fat as the two countries continue to strengthen trade relations.

The move was pioneered by Argentina’s Minister of Agribusiness, Luis Miguel Etchevehere, who paid tribute to the South American country's “historical strength in the meat chain” and the work of the Secretariat of Agroindustrial Markets for the trade deal to happen.

The Ministry added that Argentina occupied the fifth position as a food supplier to Morocco, with frozen beef another popular product in the African country.

In 2017, almost 2.1 million tonnes of agro-industrial products were exported to Morocco, amounting to a total US$497.92 million.

In two-and-a-half years, we have achieved the opening of more than 140 markets. Each new destination represents a new opportunity, expanding the export universe and promoting the insertion of Argentine products globally,” said Etchevehere.

Argentina recently set aspirations to be among the largest global meat suppliers in the future and has forged deals with a number of key international markets, particularly for its bovine meat

Japan was one of the markets with a growing appetite for Argentine bovine meat after the two countries agreed a trade deal to exchange a variety of meat products, including Patagonian bovine and ovine meat.

Bovine meat was flagged up in the Argentine Ministry of Agriculture’s Undersecretariat of Livestock survey, which reported significant growth in exports to the international market during the first quarter of the year.