Geovana Pagel
São Paulo – The Brazilian egg export volume to Saudi Arabia should rise this year. Paulista (from the states of São Paulo) and Paranaense (from the state of Paraná) producers, who send 1.5 million eggs to the Arab country every month, should increase sales in 2004, and are currently negotiating with Dubai.
According to Genivaldo Ulisses de Oliveira, executive director of Palma Assessoria Importação e Exportação, responsible for the cargo customs clearance, Brazilian eggs are being well accepted in the region. "Last year, in terms of quantity, our product sold more than the European product," stated Oliveira.
Sales to the Arab countries take place through a European intermediary. "We have programmed monthly shipping of 100,000 kilograms, the equivalent to 1.5 million units," explains Oliveira. "We are currently negotiating with Dubai, alone a chance to increase sales in the Middle East," he explains.
According to Oliveira, as the Arab countries do not make deals in the month of January, it is still early to guarantee an increase in export due to mad cow disease in the United States and avian flu in the Asian countries. "We expect an increase in sales to the region only in March," he explained.
Association forecasts increased world egg consumption
The Poultry Association of the State of São Paulo (APA) believes that before the solution of mad cow (in the United States) and avian flu (Asia), the market tendency is to replace red meat for chicken, pork, fish, and eggs imported from countries like Brazil.
"The extension of the problem generated by mad cow disease in the United States cannot yet be evaluated. But there will certainly be an increase in world egg consumption. For this reason, we are getting ready to increase Brazilian production, including for export to Europe, the Middle East, and Japan," forecasts Teixeira da Silva.
According to him, in 2004 the poultry sector expects to increase egg production by 6% in contrast to 2003, when shipping totalled 15 billion units.
Another important factor to provoke an increase in Brazilian export is the German decision to suspend intensive egg production in 2005, motivated by internal restrictions, like the worry about well-being of the birds. This opens enormous possibilities for Brazilian egg export to that country, as well as to Spain and England, also studying measures of the kind.
The association also believes in greater production cost stability and better prices. According to Teixeira da Silva, low inflation, public deficit control, and economic growth perspectives should provide incentives for poultry production, and bring investment for greater production.
Contact
Palma Assessoria
Telephone: (+5519) 3728.5400
Site: www.palmaassessoria.com.br
