July 8, 2011

Russia may allow meat imports from selected Brazilian processors in August

Russia may resume meat supplies from processing plants located in three Brazilian states in August, under guarantees by the Brazilian veterinary service.

A decline in the number of Brazilian meat suppliers may be offset by a rise in supply volumes from those plants whose standards are up to those of the customs union, said Alexei Alekseyenko, Press Secretary of Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Oversight, on Thursday (Jul 7).

On June 15, the Russian watchdog imposed a temporary ban on meat supplies from processing plants in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul, and Parana, as the plants did not correspond to Russian health standards.

Brazilian regulators later inspected meat processing plants licensed to supply products to the customs union of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. After carrying out the inspection, the list of licensed plants dropped to 143 units, half of the previous 236 plants.

The Brazilian service then handed over the findings of their inspection to the Russian watchdog, which plans to complete their study in August, said Alekseyenko.

Brazil currently supplies meat to more than 100 countries. It exports 60% of pork, 26% of beef, and 41% of poultry produced in the country.