Alexandre Rocha
São Paulo – The Middle East is the main regional market for Brazilian poultry exporters, and is responsible for 30% of international product trade. From January to October this year, Brazil exported 1.618 million tons of chicken, a total of US$ 1.46 billion, over 484,676 tons of which went to the region.
The news for the period was the August export of 2,500 tons to Iraq. This had not taken place since the beginning of the United Nations (UN) embargo after the Gulf war, in 1991, informs the Brazilian Poultry Exporters Association (Abef).
"The Middle East is a market where per head consumption has been rising. Chicken is an important item in the Arab diet", said Julio Cardoso, president of the Abef, the entity that unites the largest companies in the sector, such as Aurora, Peridgão, Sadia, and Seara.
The figures show this clearly. Abef data shows that in 2002, the United Arab Emirates was the second largest per head chicken consumer in the world, at 42 kilograms consumed per inhabitant, losing only to Hong Kong (43.5 kilograms).
Kuwait, in turn, was the third place (41 kilograms) and Saudi Arabia, the sixth (33 kilograms), behind Brazil (33.8 kilograms). In total figures, Saudi Arabia was, in 2002, the third largest chicken importer, purchasing around 390,000 tons, behind Russia (1.22 million tons) and Japan (750,000 tons).
"Brazil is traditionally a great supplier to the region, operating through large distributors in the Middle East. Apart from this, our product is of good quality and competitive prices," said Julio Cardoso.
Between January and October this year, Brazilian chicken export to the Middle East has risen 21% over last year in quantity and 31,5% in financial income. "We started the year worried with the situation in Iraq, but in the end, consumption in the region rose," said Cardoso.
To the Abef president, one of the reasons for this sales growth may have been North American and British troop movement, increasing demand.
An Arab market enthusiast, Cardoso points out, though, that some special processes are necessary for production to that market. "The Middle East is special. In the first place there is the need for Halal slaughter. Secondly, the consumer likes smaller chicken. It is a great market, but you must adapt to the local taste," he pointed out.
Cardoso also says that the Arab world prefers the entire chicken, explaining that of the over 440,000 tons exported up to September, around 411,000 were complete chickens, the remains being special cuts.
This is the different from what happens with most Brazilian export. Between January and September 2003, Brazil exported 854,056 tons of chicken in pieces and 577,463 tons of the whole bird.
The Abef president also says that Brazil is the main supplier to the region, dominating between 40% and 60% of sales in some countries. He also explains that the European product can only compete with the Brazilian if subsidized, and North American producers are more interested in the domestic market. The main buyers, apart from Saudi Arabia, are Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Yemen, and Oman.
2003: two million tons
Apart from the Middle East, Brazilian chicken sales to Asia and Africa have also been rising, whereas other regions, such as Europe, Russia and Mercosur have been showing reductions.
The sector still bets on ending the year at 2 million tons exported, 25% over the result for last year, when sales were 1.6 million tons.
According to Cardoso, Brazil is the second largest poultry producer and exporter, losing only to the United States. Last year the country produced 7.517 million tons of chicken and exported to over 100 countries. According to the Abef president, the main producers in the country are the states of Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina (all in southern Brazil).
This year, Brazilian poultry exports reached US$ 1,458 billion up to October, more than the US$ 1,393 billion that was sold during January to October 2002.
