January 16, 2007

Angola lifts ban on Brazil beef
 

The Brazilian Agriculture Ministry said Monday, Jan 15 that Angola has ended its embargo on Brazilian beef effective immediately.

Angola, a Portuguese-speaking nation in western Africa, is a small market for Brazil beef. The country imported 6,543 tonnes of boned, fresh beef in 2006, up 70 percent from 2005.

It banned Brazilian beef on Oct 27 after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Mato Grosso do Sul and Parana states of Brazil.

With the recent decision to lift the ban, Angola became the second country to do so, Israel being the first.

Some 54 nations continue with either full or partial bans on Brazilian beef at this time.

Brazil is the world¡¯s leading beef exporter.