February 22, 2006

Brazil calls for Russia to relax meat ban

Brazil is asking Russia, which has prohibited imports of beef and pork from eight Brazilian states to relax its ban to accept meat from six of its affected states.

Russia, Brazil's largest market, imported US$1.3 billion worth of Brazilian meat in 2005, which was 45 percent of all beef and pork exports from Brazil.

Brazil hopes Russia could at least relax their embargo and accept meat from Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Mato Grosso, Goias and Minas Gerais.

Isolated cases of foot and mouth disease were found in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso do Sul and Parana late last year. A total of 56 countries maintained varying degrees of restrictions on Brazilian meat.

Eight countries have a total ban on Brazilian meat while the rest of the countries will not accept meat from the affected states and Sao Paulo.

To make matters worse, six more cases of foot-and-mouth disease were discovered among livestock in southern Brazil early this week.