São Paulo – Exports of bovine meat from the state of Mato Grosso to the Middle Eastern countries have grown 41% in October compared with September. The rate is equivalent to the sale of 986,000 kilograms more of beef to the Arab countries. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain and Lebanon were the leading buyers of Brazilian meat.
Luis Carlos Meister, cattle breeding consultant to the Agriculture and Cattle Breeding Federation of the State of Mato Grosso (Femato), believes that this expansion was driven by government purchases from Arab countries in order to replenish inventories. From January to October this year, bovine meat sales to the Middle East totalled US$ 62.11 million.
In comparison with September, Meister underscored that during part of the month, the Arab countries were observing the Ramadan fast, which naturally led to a decrease in the region’s beef imports.
The Femato consultant also informed that, from January to September 2009, Mato Grosso exported 133,000 tonnes of beef to the Middle East, 35.5% less than in the same period of 2008. According to Meister, beef exports were harmed by the crisis, but he believes that the recovery that took place in October should be sustained.
To Meister, the importance of the Middle East to beef exports from the state is due to the fact that the region “is a large consumer market, [it buys] large volumes and has high purchasing power.”
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
