January 19, 2006

 

Russia may ease beef ban on Brazilian states by August

 

 

The Russian government may ease its ban on beef from six Brazilian states without foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) by August, according to a government official on Wednesday.

 

"It is possible that the embargo on those six states without the disease could be lifted in six months," said Sergei Loginov of the Commercial Department of the Russian Embassy in Brasilia.

 

Brazilian agriculture ministry officials will discuss animal health and sanitary measures with the Russian government in Moscow on Monday in an attempt to remove the Russian ban, should no further outbreaks of FMD occur, Loginov said.

 

Russia stopped beef and pork imports from Mato Grosso do Sul and Parana states because of FMD found on ranches there. Russia later expanded its ban to include neighbouring states Mato Grosso, Goias, Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo and Santa Catarina. Rio Grande do Sul was also banned, even though the state does not border Mato Grosso do Sul or Parana, because of an occurrence of the disease there five years ago.

 

Russia hinted on Dec 23 that it could relax the ban on the six states by August instead of the usual 12-month to two-year ban required by Russian law.

 

The topic made headlines on Wednesday in Brazilian business dailies when a Santa Catarina hog industry association told the press that Brazil's ambassador to Russia, Carlos A. Santos Neves, said Russia would outright remove its ban on the six states in six months.

 

The Russian Embassy would only confirm the possibility of the change.

 

Russia is Brazil's second-largest market for beef exports, trailing the EU, and it is the biggest market for Brazilian pork exports by volume.

 

In 2005, Brazil exported to Russia 294,318 tonnes of frozen, boneless beef, up from 154,238 tonnes in 2004. In addition, fresh and frozen pork exports to Russia rose to 237,536 tonnes in 2005 compared with 175,896 tonnes in 2004, according to year-end data provided by Brazil's Commerce Ministry.