September 27, 2013

Russia bans meat imports from another 10 Brazilian suppliers

Russia has banned beef and pork imports from 10 Brazilian suppliers, starting on October 2, according to the Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia's veterinary and phytosanitary service on Wednesday (September 25).

Embargoes previously imposed on six others were kept in place and two other plants that had not exported their products to the Russian Federation before were denied an approval for export of animal products to the CU countries as well.

The measures were ordered after an inspection of 18 Brazilian meat-processing plants conducted with Belarus and Kazakhstan officials revealed a breach of the rules.

"A number of systematic violations and some violations at individual plants were detected, thus demonstrating the Brazilian services cannot provide sufficient control to ensure compliance with veterinary and sanitary regulations of the customs union and Russia," the Rosselkhoznadzor said.

The Russian agency did not identify the Brazilian suppliers.

Brazil's Agriculture Ministry later said that Russian authorities suspended shipments from six plants of JBS, two units of local meat packer Minerva, one unit of Brazil's Marfrig and one from Pamplona.

A spokesman for JBS, the world's biggest producer of beef, said sales would not be affected because it would reroute beef bound to Russia from other plants.

Minerva confirmed two of its plants were affected but added, "We inform that other units of the company in Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay are still qualified to export to Russia. Therefore, we adjusted the Russian demand to these units, to repeal the effect of this suspension."

Russia imported 616,100 tonnes of red meat worth US$2.4 billion from countries outside the Commonwealth of Independent States in the first seven months of 2013, according to official customs data. The country was expected to buy more meat from Brazil after Moscow banned imports from most US, Canadian and Mexican suppliers over feed additive fears.