São Paulo – Brazilian agribusiness increased its revenues with exports to the Arab countries by 38% in January. Sales rose from US$ 397.5 million in January 2010 to US$ 549.4 million in the same month this year. According to the director of the Agribusiness International Promotion Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Eduardo Sampaio, three products were greatly responsible for the increase: sugar, chicken and beef.
Sales of sugar, a product that answered to half the exports, rose 82% in the period, reaching US$ 270 million, as against the US$ 148 million of January 2009. Among the causes for the growth, according to Sampaio, were commodity prices, which rose significantly, boosted by crop problems that India, a great producer, had in 2009. The Brazilian sugarcane crop this year has not yet started but, according to Sampaio, should grow.
The greater agribusiness exports to the Arab world meant revenues of US$ 152 million. In the sugar and meat sectors alone, the growth was US$ 186 million. The added revenues, in general, were only not greater as there was reduction in the sale of other products, like soy grain and chaff and milk. With regard to chicken, the growth was 45%, to US$ 140 million, and in beef, the expansion was 54%, to US$ 56 million. The improvement in the global economy boosted exports of beef in January, according to Sampaio.
Among the main agribusiness buyers in the Arab world in January, the growth was balanced in terms of values. Saudi Arabia, for example, the first in the ranking, bought US$ 20 million more. The Emirates increased their imports by US$ 22 million, Algeria by US$ 19 million, and Egypt, by US$ 24 million. In percentage terms, however, the great expansion was in the case of Egypt, 112% to US$ 46 million. The Saudis, in turn, who traditionally buy more in terms of volume, expanded their purchases by 17%.
Great growth in purchases was also identified in Iraq. The country spent US$ 44.8 million in Brazilian agribusiness products, with growth of 453% over January last year, when the country’s imports totalled US$ 8 million. Also in this case, sugar and meats boosted the performance.
*Translated by Mark Ament
