São Paulo – A veterinary committee from Egypt started this Monday (27) a round of inspections in Brazilian slaughterhouses. The aim is to renew beef producers’ exports certifications, according to information published on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA). <\/p>\n
The country is one of the great importers of Brazilian beef in the Arab market, having purchased the equivalent to US$ 486.5 million in beef last year. Considering all agribusiness products, Brazilian exports to the Egyptian market reached US$ 1.6 billion in 2013, according to the ministry. <\/p>\n
The Egyptian committee arrived at the country on Sunday and is visiting companies in the Brazilian states of Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás and Minas Gerais. The inspections finish on February 13. <\/p>\n
Egypt was one of the countries that last year embargoed beef imports from Paraná, in the South of Brazil, after it was announced that a cow which carried the agent responsible for the mad cow disease died in 2012. The animal in question, however, never developed the disease, and did not die of it. The Arab country suspended the embargo in September last year. <\/p>\n
According to the Agriculture and Livestock Defense secretary at the Ministry, Rodrigo Figueiredo, the visit is important to further strengthen ties with Egypt. “In recent months, Brazil has managed to open important markets and we hope to achieve even greater results in this sense, particularly in maintaining our exports to important buyers such as Egypt,” he explained in a Ministry statement. <\/p>\n
*Translated by Silvia Lindsey<\/strong><\/p>\n