São Paulo – Egyptian authorities gave the green light to imports of thermally processed chicken products from Brazil, the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply reported this Thursday (23). It said facilities accredited to sell whole chickens to Egypt are eligible to export, provided that they update their International Food Safety Certificates (Certificado Sanitário Internacional – CSI, in Brazilian Portuguese) with the Ministry.
The Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) lauded the move in a press release, and said 40 plants across Brazil are accredited. ABPA chairman Francisco Turra said that as soon as the authorization was put in place, several shipping licenses were issued, coming out to roughly 1,500 tons of product. Thermally processed items are ready-to-eat products that are usually cooked, sterilized and packaged.
“The spike in orders for Brazilian product indicates pent-up demand that should lead to Egypt increasing its imports of halal poultry from Brazil. This is yet another milestone achieved by minister Tereza Cristina and her staff for the industry in Brazil,” Turra said.
Agriculture minister Tereza Cristina traveled to Egypt late last year alongside an entourage that included poultry industry executives as well as Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) personnel. The minister and executives discussed allowing certain Brazilian products into Egypt and vice-versa.
According to the ABPA, Egypt was the fourth biggest importer of Brazilian poultry year-to-date through June 2020 at 39,100 tons of product, up 27% year-on-year.
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
