Silwan Abbassi and Marina Sarruf*
Brasília – Jordan is importing more cattle beef from Brazil. According to information disclosed by newspaper Addustour, from the Arab country, purchases of cattle beef from Brazil and India rose at the beginning of this year. The measure was to contain the growth of meat prices in the country. The product has risen in value, according to the newspaper, due to the increase in consumption of the product during the Muslim holiday of Eida al-Adha, commemorated at the end of last year.
According to the Jordanian embassy in Brasília, the increase in consumption of cattle beef in the country, and consequently of imports, is also due to the arrival of many Iraqis in the country. The prices of chilled cattle beef have risen between 10% and 15% in Jordan since the beginning of the year.
According to the president of trading company Alimentary Products, Khalil Tawfiq, the reason for the increase in the cost of chilled meat is the reduction in offer of the Chinese product. China is one of the Jordanian suppliers of cattle beef.
Brazil already exports cattle beef to Jordan, but up to the end of last year the volumes were still small. Brazilian exports of raw cattle beef to Jordan in 2006 totalled US$ 6.28 million. There was an increase, however, of 84% when compared to 2005. Shipments totalled 3,400 tonnes in 2006, against 2,000 in the previous year, according to information disclosed by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply.
Brazil exported US$ 42.32 million in agribusiness products to Jordan in 2006, including meats, sugar, coffee, milk, cocoa, gelatine, wheat, bread, flour and forestry products. In total, Brazilian sales to the Arab country generated US$ 113.4 million in 2006 and also included aircraft, aluminium and chassis for mini buses, among other products.
Jordan currently consumes around 1,000 tonnes of chilled meat a month. The country also imports around 50,000 live heads of cattle a month from Australia and Uruguay.
Brazil is the global leader in the sector of cattle beef exports. Last year the country exported the equivalent to US$ 3.7 billion, against US$ 3.1 billion in 2005. Shipments totalled over two million tonnes to over 180 countries. Egypt was the second main importer of Brazilian raw cattle beef, with imports of US$ 339.9 million and 271,700 tonnes, only losing to Russia, which imported US$ 653 million and 407,000 tonnes.
*Translated by Mark Ament
