Dubai – Slaughterhouses continue betting on the Arab market, the main buyer of Brazilian chicken and also one of the main importers of beef. At Gulfood, a fair in the food sector in Duabi, in the United Arab Emirates, up to Thursday (28), some 20 companies in both sectors were present, as well as sectorial organisations like the Brazilian Poultry Union (Ubabef) and the Brazilian Beef Industry and Exporters Association (Abiec).
"Over one third of the chicken exported by Brazil is halal, and this is where our main clients may be found,” said Ubabef director Ricardo Santin, during the fair in Dubai. "The fair is good, mainly to strengthen the partnership ties that are very long term,” he said. Twelve companies in the sector were at the Ubabef stand and another three associates had their own spaces. Some companies are members of both organisations.
Last year, Brazil exported the equivalent to US$ 1.7 billion in chicken to the Middle East, according to Santin. "It is a stable market, with moderate growth,” he said. "We respect local industry, Brazil adds what is lacking, playing this part, guaranteeing food safety,” he added.
One of the country’s differentials, in his evaluation, is flexibility to adapt the product according to the client’s desires. “Brazil supplies the demands of clients, having great customisation capacity,” he said.
In beef, Brazilian exporters are living a challenge in the region, the Saudi embargo after announcement, in December, of the death of a cow in 2010 that was carrying the agent that causes mad cow disease, although the animal did not die of the disease. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) recently maintained the Brazilian sanitary status as that of “insignificant risk”.
"It was a very old animal and specialists say that the prion (infectious agent) may appear in these conditions, there was no contamination, as was the case in Europe in the past,” stated Fernando Sampaio, executive director at Abiec.
The Ministry of Agriculture is about to organise a delegation to Saudi Arabia to try to repeal the embargo. "I hope that the situation will be reverted,” said Sampaio, adding that it is a priority for the sector, as the country is the most important among the countries that are barring Brazilian beef.
He pointed out, however, that restrictions by some nations do not affect Brazilian beef exports, which totalled US$ 5.7 billion last year and grew in January this year as against the same month in 2012.
Apart from Gulfood, both organisations plan other activities in the region this year. The Ubabef, which released a magazine on the sector in Arabic for the fair, plans to invite importers to the International Poultry Salon, to take place in São Paulo in the second half.
The Abiec, in turn, plans to promote workshops with barbecues in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
*Translated by Mark Ament
