São Paulo – The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture informed this Tuesday (8th) that exports of raw beef were up 60% in the first week of January from the same period last year, based on daily average figures. Daily export revenues averaged at US$ 21.8 million last week. The Ministry’s assessment is based on figures released last Monday (7th) by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.
According to a press statement from the Ministry of Agriculture, volume shipped was up 68% using the same basis of comparison, from 2,800 tonnes per day to 4,800 tonnes per day.
The ministry released the figures to show that exports increased in spite of the restrictions on Brazilian beef imposed by certain countries following the federal government’s announcement, last December, that an “atypical” case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy took place in the state of Paraná in 2010. The agent that causes the disease was identified in an animal that died of other causes and did not develop the disease.
The ministry was unable to inform, however, whether the export figures for last week concern orders placed before or after the case was announced.
So far, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, China, Taiwan and Peru have ceased to import from Brazil. Jordan and Lebanon have only placed restrictions on product from Paraná, and Chile has only forbidden imports of meat and flour meal.
According to information from news agency Reuters, this Tuesday, the director general of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), Bernard Vallat, called on the countries to end the restrictions, because they are unjustified. The OIE has kept the Brazilian beef risk rating for mad cow disease as “insignificant.”
The Brazilian government is threatening to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) in case the embargoes are not lifted by March.
Juice
On another note, the Ministry of Agriculture has reported a significant increase in orange juice sales as well. Daily exports amounted to US$ 29.4 million last week, up 276.3% from the same period in 2012. A total of 23,200 tonnes were shipped per day, up 189.2% using the same basis of comparison.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
