Isaura Daniel*
isaura.daniel@anba.com.br
São Paulo – The midwestern Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul was the state in the country that most expanded exports to the Arab nations in the first quarter of this year. Sales rose from US$ 16.2 million in the first three months of last year to US$ 45.4 million in the same period this year. The increase in revenues reached 180% and placed the state in the eighth position among the main exporters to the Arabs.
According to the secretary general at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby, the growth is mainly due to exports of producers of beef and poultry installed in the state. Mato Grosso do Sul has units of large exporters in the meat sector in the country, like Bertin, Independência and Marfrig, producers of beef, and Doux Frangosul, of chicken.
In fact, the product most exported by the state to the Arabs was meat. Of all state sales to the countries in the region, US$ 22.1 million were chicken meat and US$ 16.6 million were beef. The region also imported US$ 496,000 in pork. The remaining products shipped were iron ore, with US$ 4.4 million, and sugar in bulk, US$ 1.6 million.
Alaby recalled that the increase is also reflected in larger meat prices. The price of boneless and frozen beef, for example, was 34% more expensive early this year than it had been last year. The price of whole chickens rose 38.8% and chicken in pieces rose 65.1%. The secretary general also stated that the movement reflects the fact that Mato Grosso do Sul is a state free of foot and mouth disease. The Ministry of Agriculture recognized the state as free of foot and mouth disease through vaccination at the end of 2007.
The countries that purchased most from Mato Grosso do Sul are also those that figure among the main importers of beef from Brazil: Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The Saudis answered to almost half of the total purchases by the Arabs: US$ 20.3 million. Growth in exports from Mato Grosso do Sul was 150%. Egypt spent US$ 11.4 million. In the same period in 2007, the African country had not purchased from the state.
Other importers were the United Arab Emirates, with US$ 5.1 million, Jordan, with US$ 2.1 million, Tunisia, which imported US$ 1.6 million, Kuwait, US$ 1.1 million, and Iraq, with US$ 1 million. Other Arab countries that also purchased from Mato Grosso do Sul were Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Yemen. That is, half of the 22 countries of the League of Arab States imported from Mato Grosso between January and March this year.
*Translated by Mark Ament
