December 22, 2005

Brazilian beef exports might rise 5 to 10 percent 2006

Brazilian beef export volume might rise by 5 to 10 percent in 2006, president of the Brazilian Beef Industry and Exporters Association Marcus Vinicius Pratini de Moraes said. He forecasts beef export revenues to rise by 15 to 20 percent next year, adding that the rise would mainly come from sales to emerging markets, especially Arab countries.
 

Egypt is currently the second largest importer of Brazilian beef. The country purchased 192,600 tonnes worth US$223.8 million from January to November, up 25.7 percent and 49.5 percent year-on-year respectively.

Russia was the largest importer at 414,800 tonnes for the first eleven months of this year.

Algeria was also another major market for Brazilian beef. During the same period, 61,400 tonnes worth US$75.3 million were imported. The import volume represented a 23 percent rise compared with the same period in 2004. 

Brazil currently exports beef to 174 countries worldwide, including the Arab countries of Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan and Lebanon.

Pratini forecasts that beef exports for the whole of 2005 would reach US$3.1 billion, up 26 percent compared with 2004.

Brazilian beef exports have reached a record high this year despite the recent foot- and-mouth disease outbreaks in the country's Mato Grosso do Sul state, Pratini added.

But he said that Brazilian agribusiness exports still faced a major problem due to the exchange rate, and more value added exports were needed.