October 22, 2007

Russia permits beef exports from Brazil's Paranagua state

Brazil's Agriculture Ministry announced Friday (October 19) the Russian government has lifted its ban on beef shipped from Brazil's Paranagua port.

Russia, Brazil's biggest beef export market, banned exports from the port in May. Before the ban, roughly 90 percent of the port's beef shipments went to Russia.

Brazil is the world's leading beef exporter. Its food safety official, Inacio Kroetz, said he received the green light from officials at Russia's veterinary federation to restart exports. The Russian government also allowed seven Brazilian meat packers in Mato Grosso, Sao Paulo and Tocantins to restart exporting beef to Russia after a ban this year.

Russia has been banning beef from Brazil on and off over the past two years, either because of health issues like foot-and-mouth- disease or because of alleged fraudulent export documents being generated by some trading companies who were selling unauthorized beef to Russia.