March 30, 2007

Russia may halt Brazilian meat imports in April

Russia will halt Brazilian meat imports completely if Brazil does not take quality control measures, Russian news agency Interfax reported Thursday (Mar 29), citing an unidentified source in the food safety watchdog agency RosSelkhozNadzor.

The official added that Russia may impose a ban in mid-April.

Brazil has had intermittent problems with foot-and-mouth disease in recent years.

Currently, Brazil can only send meat to Russia that has been approved by Russian inspectors.

Russia imported 254,000 tonnes of beef from Brazil in 2006, or about 40 percent of all imports, Interfax said, citing an organisation called the Agrarian Market Affairs Institute.

Russia imported 229,000 tonnes of Brazilian pork in 2006, or more than 37 percent of total pork imports.