São Paulo – The government of Qatar lifted the ban on beef imports from Brazil, which had been imposed due to an isolated case of atypical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) reported in the state of Pará. “The Brazilian government was pleased to receive the announcement yesterday, May 29, of the end of restrictions on Brazilian beef imposed by Qatar,” said the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in a statement.
The Brazilian government informed this announcement adds to the recent reopening of other markets due to the same situation, such as Tunisia, Palestine, and Russia, and represents the full normalization of beef trade between Brazil and Qatar. The Gulf country restricted purchases on March 5 this year, including Brazil on the list of precautionary measures, which subjected its exports to constraints. Last year, Brazil exported 6,000 tonnes of beef to Qatar, obtaining USD 36.9 million in revenue.
According to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, unlike the classic form of the illness, also known as “mad cow disease,” the atypical form occurs naturally and spontaneously in the cattle herd, does not pose a risk to public health, nor does justify import restrictions, according to the rules of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
