Saudi Arabia extends meat trade with Brazil
Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA) confirmed the move after Saudi authorities approved the International Animal Health certificate models developed by Brazil for its bovine and poultry genetics.
Saudi Arabia will now receive Brazilian fertile eggs, day-old chicks, bovine embryos and bovine semen.
MAPA said sanitary negotiations began with Saudi Arabia earlier last year after a “business opportunity” had been identified in the Middle East.
Brazilian officials also conducted a technical mission to Saudi Arabia last month and stressed the importance of the Middle Eastern country as a trading partner.
Last month, Brazil finalised an export deal with Saudi Arabia for live cattle following four years of negotiations.
“The opening of new markets helps diversify the tariff and contributes to the reach the goal of 10% of Brazil's share in the world market for agricultural products,” said MAPA minister Blairo Maggi.
Meanwhile, MAPA director for the department of animal health Guilherme Marques paid tribute to the country’s successive market openings with Saudi Arabia, due to its international recognition for its poultry and bovine genetics.
“The level of biosafety implemented by establishments producing Brazilian genetics and poultry lineages allows them to develop products with quality and productivity,” said Marques.
"The health advances of the last decade were recognised by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) last May as a country free of foot-and-mouth disease with vaccination. Also, Brazil has never had any cases of avian influenza.”
Saudi Arabia becomes the 50th country to regularly import poultry genetic materials and imported more than US$2 billion-worth of Brazilian agribusiness products in 2017.
