São Paulo – Agribusiness external sales could see an increase of USD 1.9 billion per year with the securing and reopening of markets abroad that occurred in 2015, according to information released by the minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa) Kátia Abreu this Tuesday (15th). The ministry gave a press conference in Brasília in which she assessed the actions by the ministry and estimations for 2016.
A considerable share of the estimated exports increase will come from beef. This year, Brazil reopened the China, Argentina, Iraq, Iran, Japan and Saudi Arabia markets and secured the North Korea, the United States and Myanmar markets, according to date from Mapa. The international sales of the product to these markets should generate an increase of USD 1.3 billion to Brazil, with 289,000 tons. In 2014, Brazil earned USD 7.1 billion with beef exports.
In all, the estimated USD 1.9 billion account for 11.3% of the total exported annually by the Brazilian agribusiness. Another sector that should help the performance is poultry, with a potential increase of USD 414 million in revenues, or 304,000 tons, from shipments abroad. From the dairy sector should come an increase of USD 78 million, with 20,000 tons, and from pork another USD 101 million, with 52,000 tons.
In the press conference, the minister celebrated the results and talked about the constant search by Mapa for new trade partners and of the work of agriculture defense, which guaranteed the health of plants and animals and food safety. In all, the increase of exports estimated by Mapa (not only from the markets reopened and opened, but in general) for 2016 stands at USD 2.5 billion, or 555,000 tons. “Today, Brazil accounts for only 7.7% of all global trade. We have availability of land, climate, technology and innovation to reach 10%. This is our goal”, said the minister.
Year-to-date, however, exports by the Brazilian agribusiness declined 9.6%, with revenues of USD 81.3 billion. Even so, the sector increased its share of the total sent by Brazil abroad. It stood at 43.3% in the first eleven months of last year and 46.7% in the same months of this year. The agribusiness trade balance surplus declined from USD 74.62 billion to USD 69.18 billion in the same period.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
