São Paulo – A batch of Brazilian organic chicken is due to reach the UAE in the next few months. The first company to export the product from Brazil, Korin is in the final stages of its project to supply the Arab countries – superintendent director Reginaldo Morikawa hopes to make the first shipment in July.
Thus Korin proceeds with its organic chicken internationalization plan. Last year, it shipped 8 tons to Hong Kong, as the culmination of a project that began in 2014. “Exporting any organic animal protein entails much planning on the part of both buyer and seller,” explains Morikawa.
In order to grasp the complexity of the task, one must learn more about Korin, a company launched in 1994 to produce antibiotics-free poultry – which remains the flagship product of the Ipeúna, São Paulo-based enterprise. In its facilities, chickens are raised with access to grazing land where they can behave in a natural way. Barns are spacious, with less birds per square meter. They are not submitted to artificial lighting at night, and slaughter is conducted humanely.
The company began producing organic chicken in 2009. The difference between antibiotics-free chicken and organic chicken is basically the feed. The maize and soy that feed organic birds are also certified organic. As for antibiotics-free chicken, the maize and soy is enriched with prebiotics, probiotics, and essential vegetable oils.
This is also why the supply of organic poultry for export is limited: “Certified organic grain production ultimately dictates the speed at which exports grow,” explains Morikawa. “We have a commitment to exporting only 10% of Korin’s total output, in order to prevent shortages on the domestic market.”
The export plan regarding the UAE includes both organic and antibiotics-free poultry. “We have a preference agreement with a company that will serve the entire Arab market,” the director said. According to him, the idea is to distribute the product to Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia – but there is an interest in other countries in that region as well. “We are working on the packaging. The plan right now is to ship the goods in July.”
Morikawa believes that 50 to 80 tons of poultry will be exported this year. Besides Hong Kong and the Arab countries, the company received inquiries from countries such as the United Kingdom, Holland, Portugal, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
