From the Newsroom*
São Paulo – Although the Middle East is already the main market for Brazilian chicken exports, revenues with sales to the countries in the region grew 41% between January and November this year when compared to the same period last year. Exports totalled US$ 847.9 million, according to figures supplied by the Brazilian Poultry Exporters Association (Abef).
Shipments to the Middle East totalled 770,000 tonnes of chicken, representing a growth of 14% in comparison to the same eleven months last year. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates were the main importers from the region, with purchases of 342,900 tonnes, 129,300 tonnes and 119,700 tonnes, respectively.
To the Abef, the Middle East includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Iraq and Jordan, as well as Israel, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan, which are not Arab.
The Middle East was the main market in terms of volume and Asia was the main market in terms of revenues. The region imported US$ 886.4 million from January to November, 30.5% more than in the same period last year. In terms of volume, shipments totalled 678,780 tonnes, presenting 19% increase.
In the month of November, Brazilian chicken meat exports totalled US$ 288 million, which represents an increase of 41%. Shipment totalled 206,580 tonnes, with growth of 2% over the same period in 2004. The Arab countries were also prominent last month. Apart from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, for example, presented an increase of 685.8% in the quantity imported and Qatar, 191.4%.
Record figures
From January to November this year, Brazilian exports of chicken broke a historic record, with shipment of 2.6 million tonnes, which represented an increase of 16.25% when compared to the same period last year. Sales revenues totalled US$ 3.15 billion, 34% more than in the eleven first months of 2004.
The president of the Abef, Ricardo Gonçalves, forecasts an increase of between 5% and 10% in totals exported for 2006. The organization intends to work on the opening of new markets and to continue investing in the markets that have already been won.
*Translated by Mark Ament
