January 22, 2008
Brazil and Russia signs meat quality agreement
The agreement will allow Brazil to have double responsibility for beef examination destined for Russia.
Besides this, Russia's government also provides the opening of the market for almost 40 meatpackers, which could resume exports to the country.
The agreement was signed on Friday (January 18, 2008) by In¨¢cio Kroetz, secretary of Farm and Ranch Defense within the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa), and by Serguey Dankvert, director of Russia's Federal Service for Animal and Plant Sanitation.
Brazil had been under an embargo because of the focus on foot and mouth disease which was identified in 2005, and the measure was commemorated by the beef production sector.
Russia is Brazil's biggest beef client, accountable for 15 percent of beef and 70 percent of pork export sales. In 2007, exports totalled about 945,000 tonnes, equivalent to US$1.98 billion, 23.87 percent more than 2006.
Under the agreement, the fiscal officials of the Federation Inspection Service (SIF) of Brazil will assume responsibility for the quality of meats that are shipped to Russia.
The service was previously realized in cooperation with Russian veterinarians, who now will examine the meat at destination. The exporting company will have to bear the burden of the loss such as export freights and storage rates, if the meat arrives with sanitary problems.
On the occasion, the Russian government called for the inspection of 40 Brazilian meatpacking plants, to be analyzed by a mission of eight Russian veterinarians in the next few days. The veterinarians will verify compliance with sanitation requirements and consider the possibility of the plants resuming exports.
However, the list excluded companies from Santa Catarina state, the leading Brazilian pork producer.
Selected companies are located in the states of São Paulo, Amazonas, Roraima, Acre, Goias, Minas Gerais, Esp¨ªrito Santo, Bahia, Para, Parana, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and Rio Grande do Sul.
