July 11, 2006

 

Brazil beef exports hit new record

 

 

Brazil's fresh beef exports broke another record in the first half of 2006 to reach 788,375 tonnes, 1.33 percent more than the first half of 2005, the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association, or Abiec, said Monday (Jul 11). 

 

Brazil's beef industry has been breaking export records for the past three years in both volume and value crushing expectations of a fall in exports due to multiple trade embargoes caused by the presence of foot-and-mouth disease. 

 

Export value over the six-month period hit US$1.3 billion, 12.3 percent more than the same period last year.

 

Abiec President Marcus Vinicius Pratini de Moraes said Brazil's beef market is growing on steady demand from European markets and emerging markets like Algeria, Romania and Bulgaria.

 

Moraes said that Brazilian beef exporters 2006 would likely end with a volume increase of 3 percent over 2005's total fresh beef volume of 1.6 million tonnes. Most of the increase in demand are expected from developing countries.

 

56 nations have either full or partial bans on Brazilian beef because of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Mato Grosso do Sul and Parana states last October.

 

Japan, South Korea and Mexico, all major beef importers have banned Brazilian beef.

 

While Brazil's top two markets, Russia and the EU, imported less Brazilian beef in the first half of 2006, the UK increased imports during the period by 7.85 percent.

 

Other markets that saw increases include Egypt, with Brazilian beef imports rising 27 percent while imports to Saudi Arabia rose 69 percent. Brazil's beef imports to most other countries also rose.

 

Total Brazilian beef exports in the first half of 2006 were relatively unchanged from the same period last year. Higher international prices, however, have led to values rising 16.2 percent to US$1.7 billion.

 

Processed beef exports rose 51 percent to Brazil's No. 1 market, the US, hitting 86,308 tonnes in the first half of the year.

 

The UK, the second largest market for Brazil's processed beef exports, bought 7 percent less in the first half of the year.