The Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) welcomed a May 13 announcement by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, concerning the official opening of Bhutan's market for pork from Brazil.

While Bhutan has a population of almost one million, of which more than 20% consumes pork, per capita consumption in the country is still relatively low and does not reach three kilos per capita per year, according to FAOSTAT data. This is an indication of good potential for increasing consumption in Bhutan, according to the president of ABPA, Ricardo Santin.

"The opening of this South Asian market comes at an important moment for the sector, which has sought to expand the (capacity) of Brazilian exports, adding to other openings and expansions achieved by the excellent work of the Ministry of Agriculture team, under the leadership of (Brazil's Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply) Carlos Fávaro and from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," Santin said.  

"The import tariff for pork is similar to that established for chicken meat, around 10% of the value of the product shipped," said Luís Rua, markets director at ABPA. "It is an important, advantageous condition to expand our presence in (Bhutan) and in our role in supporting the food security of the local population." 

- ABPA