From the Newsroom
São Paulo – Egypt is, up to now, the main importer of Brazilian cattle beef in 2004, according to figures supplied today (10) by the Brazilian Beef Industry and Exporters Association (Abiec). In the months of January and February the country in North Africa imported 35,500 tonnes of raw cattle beef, equivalent to US$ 35.4 million. In the case of the industrialized product, sales totalled 1,480 tonnes, for little over US$ 1 million.
In comparison to the first two months of 2003 there has been an 82.6% increase in quantities of raw beef shipped and 137.2% increase in revenues. In processed beef, the increase was 40.5% in volumes and 42.3% in revenues.
Other Arab countries that figure in the list of the 15 greatest buyers of Brazilian cattle beef in January and February. Saudi Arabia, for example, appears in 7th place among the importers of the raw product, with 10,150 tonnes purchased for around US$ 11 million, and in 14th place among the consumers of industrialized beef, importing 588 tonnes for US$ 362,000.
Among the importers of industrialized beef are the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Lebanon.
February
Considering the month of February alone, Egypt was the main importer, buying 20,300 tonnes of raw beef for US$ 20.3 million, and 550 tonnes of the industrialized product for US$ 393,000.
Saudi Arabia appears in 9th place among the main importers of raw beef in February, with 4,600 tonnes purchased for US$ 5.2 million, and in 10th among the consumers of the industrialized product with purchases of 460 tonnes for US$ 289,000.
Lebanon appears in 14th place among the buyers of the raw product in February, purchasing almost 1,400 tonnes for little over US$ 2 million. In the case of the processed product, Lebanon was in 12th place, with 323 tonnes purchased for US$ 224,000.
The United Arab Emirates appear in 11th among the buyers of industrialized beef in February.
In the evaluation of the secretary general of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (CCAB), Michel Alaby, Brazilian cattle beef has been well accepted in the Arab countries because it is "green" beef, with the cattle being raised on grazing ground, eliminating the possibility of mad cow disease.
Total
In all, Brazilian cattle beef export in January totalled US$ 143.3 million, 28.6% over the total registered in the same period last year, which was US$ 111.4 million. The quantities shipped, however, dropped a little, going from 115,400 tonnes to 115,200 tonnes.
According to information supplied by the Abiec directory, the increase in revenues is due to a 29% increase in international product prices. According to a spokesperson for the association, the volumes shipped were only not greater due to a National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) strike in the second half of February, "causing containers to be stuck at Santos port."
