September 11, 2006
Brazil's poultry exporters delighted by Egypt's imports
Brazilian poultry exporters are congratulating themselves as the arrival of 20,000 tonnes of Brazilian poultry meat in Egypt last week marked the first large-scale shipment of poultry since bird flu led to reduced consumption.
Egypt suspended a six-month ban on poultry imports in July as local supplies became low and prices skyrocketed. Now, Egypt has permitted the import of frozen chicken, fresh and powdered eggs, and has also eliminated import tariffs on these products and on frozen cattle beef, fish and processed chicken.
Previously, the country only imported small quantities of poultry from Brazil as duties as high as 44 percent charged by Egypt's government resulted in only US$1.5 million shipped before the ban.
According to information supplied by the Brazilian Poultry Exporters Association (Abef), the 20,000 tonne-shipment was worth around US$ 40 million, making Egypt one of the top importers of Brazilian poultry.
Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce president Antonio Sarkis Jr said it was a great opportunity to enter a market that was closed until very recently.
Sarkis pointed out, however, that when a country decides to opens the floodgates, it rarely turns back. Besides quality, Brazilian chicken sent to Egypt also met halal requirements, he said.
Chicken purchased from Brazil is going to guarantee stocks for Ramadan, a month-long period where Muslims fast during the greater part of the day, only to feast at night. This year's Ramadan begins at around September 22 and end at about October 21.
The poultry imports from Egypt is a relief to Brazil's poultry farmers who have been hit hard by the lowering of global demand in poultry--July's shipments were 29 percent lower than in the same month last year while export revenues were 34 percent lower.
Export sales for the first seven months of the year totalled 1.4 million tonnes, 11.5 percent lower when compared to the same period last year while revenues for the same period fell 9 percent.
