February 7, 2012

Coopercentral Aurora to send first pork shipment to China

On February 9 the first pork shipment to China will be sent by Coopercentral Aurora (Aurora Alimentos), the cooperative's president Mário Lanznaster said Friday (Feb 3).

The 120 tonne shipment will be sent to the Shanghai and Yantian ports.

In 2011 Coopercentral Aurora created a special structure to meet China's import requirements, which include a system that tracks products between the farms and the ports.

A group of 35 farms in Santa Catarina state was selected by Aurora to supply the meat and an animal feed manufacturer from CooperAuriVerde (one of Coopercentral Aurora's affiliated cooperatives) is producing a specific type of feed for the cattle.

Every fortnight an abattoir in Chapecó slaughters some 4,600 pigs that generate 200 tonnes of meat that is packed, frozen and stored for the Chinese market.

According to Lanznaster, up to 2009 China would only consume Brazilian meat imported via Hong Kong. In 2009 the country started to buy poultry directly from Brazilian farmers and in 2011, an agreement signed between China and Brazil opened the doors for direct pork exports to that country.