First Shipment of Brazilian Pork Heads for US

BRAZIL - The first shipment of Brazilian pork bound for the United States left port last week.
calendar icon 26 November 2014
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The shipment was 25 tons of a specific cut, which left the port of Itapoá in Santa Catarina on 20 November, according to the agriculture ministry.

The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Neri Geller, has discussed with the chairman of the Central Cooperative in Aurora, Mario Lanznaster, whether there is an opportunity to export also bone-in products, especially ribs, rib and loin, despite the stringent requirements health and the country is a major producer of pork.

He said: "They are modest volumes in terms of international trade, but the company's goal is to enter and gradually consolidate the US market, the demand for quality is recognised worldwide."

The US is the largest exporter of pork in the world and the third largest manufacturer of the product.

Negotiations between Brazil and the United States over the shipment lasted about two years, in which US missions visited Brazil to verify the quality and safety of Brazilian pork.

Currently two product plants are authorised for export by the two countries - Aurora Chapecó and BRF at Herval do Oeste, both in the state of Santa Catarina.

According to Minister Geller, this first shipment demonstrates the credibility of the Brazilian market in relation to the North American expectations.

He said: "The completion of the negotiations and implementation of export were the culmination of the strategies adopted by the Ministry of Agriculture in order to prove the origin of Brazilian pork and open markets for the purchase of the product."

He stressed that the monitoring of swine-origin products has been continuous to ensure the reliability for foreign markets, saying: "The beginning of this export market gives credibility too to the Brazilian Federal Inspection Service. In addition, the opening of new markets reflects the favourable conditions in Brazil to meet domestic demand too."

In 2013, Brazil produced 3.52 million tons of pork; this year's production has already reached 3.55 million tons. Last year, pork exports totalled US$1.35 billion and amounted to approximately 513,000 tons. By October 2014, the country had already achieved exports of 410,000 tons valued at US$1.33 billion.

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