São Paulo – Live cattle from Brazil could be used for halal meat and milk production in the United Arab Emirates. The Arab country issued the health certification in mid-April for the import of Brazilian live cattle and buffaloes, representing the opening of this market to more significant amounts of animals from Brazil, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply (MAPA).
According to MAPA, possible exporters such as the Brazilian Association of Livestock Exporters (ABEG) report no signed contracts but estimate the main demands for live cattle from Brazil in the UAE are for halal slaughter and milk production information. Halal slaughter is done according to the rules of Islam; consequently, those are the products Muslims seek to consume.
Brazil had already exported live cattle to the UAE before certification was issued, but MAPA explains they were occasional shipments with small groups of animals. This year, until April, no cattle or buffaloes were exported from Brazil to the UAE, according to data from the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC).
The certification represents the standard health requirements that must be followed in all shipments of cattle and buffaloes from Brazil to the country. According to MAPA, the main benefit is that potential exporters can already calculate the operation costs with prior knowledge of the requirements of importing countries.
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The Ministry of Agriculture believes that there are advantages to supplying a demanding market like the UAE. “All markets are important for agribusiness and demonstrate the quality of the livestock and the professionalism of the operations. The UAE is an important market because it has high-quality requirements and great logistical and financial resources,” MAPA said.
Brazil does not have livestock raised specifically for live exports. According to the ministry, all cattle are suitable for sale to foreign markets, depending on the conditions required by importers. The MAPA states that Brazil annually exports between 500 and 600 live cattle. The Brazilian cattle herd is currently over 200 million head.
Buffaloes are 1.7 million in Brazil, most being raised for meat production. “The export of live buffalo is not frequent, but it has already been made with more than three thousand animals for breeding,” MAPA said. Several Arab countries usually consume buffalo meat.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
