São Paulo – The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has lifted a requirement for importing beef from Brazil. The regulation used to limit to 30 months of age the animals bound to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The information was made public in the new model approved by the International Health Certificate. The text now includes the possibility of Brazilian sheep meat exports to the Arab country.
The lifting of the age requirement of slaughtered animals was celebrated by exporters. “This was very welcomed by the sector as it opens up exports options,” said Marcel Moreira Pinto, Brazil’s agricultural attaché in Riyadh.
As for the market opening for sheep meat, it’s still been evaluated. “Saudis import sheep meat, particularly from Australia. Since there’s never been a trade with Brazil, we are still to learn how the demand and interest for the Brazilian product will turn out to be,” the attaché explained.
To start the exporting process, Moreira Pinto points out that the plants first must be accredited by the Saudi health authority. The executive is now questioning the Saudi authorities if the market opening extends to goat meet as well.
Sheep meat in Brazil
In March 2020, Brazil’s sheep meat broke into Kuwait. But as ANBA found, the amount bred in Brazil is still small for the Arab demand. The Brazilian consumption needs to be catered to with imports of sheep meat from countries like Uruguay
As for the goat sector, it needs structing out before meeting the demands for the product. Early this year, Brazilian breeders were even contacted by Egyptians, but talks were hampered by the size of the Brazilian herd.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
