August 21, 2023

 

Chicken from Santa Catarina, Brazil, now allowed to enter Japan

 

 

 

Japan will resume chicken imports from Brazil's Santa Catarina state after a ban triggered by an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in backyard flocks there, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said on August 18.

 

The ministry said in a statement that the ban, imposed on July 17, was lifted after it confirmed that poultry from Santa Catarina state is free from the disease.

 

Earlier, a statement from Santa Catarina citing Governor Jorginho Mello had said the embargo had been lifted. Santa Catarina's government mentioned a bilateral agreement between Brazil and Japan that allowed for chicken sales to resume should no irregularities be found 28 days after the outbreak-related ban was imposed.

 

"Santa Catarina is free of avian flu," Mello said. "We are a reference for animal health ... and the outbreak is already overcome ...," the governor said.

 

The Brazilian agriculture ministry said Santa Catarina is Brazil's second largest producing state and exporter of chicken. It confirmed Japan lifted its ban on eggs, chicken meat and other by-products effective on August 18.

 

The news is a boon to local meat processors, as Japan is Santa Catarina's top poultry export destination, according to the state government.

 

Nationwide, only China imported more Brazilian chicken than Japan in the first seven months of 2023, according to trade data compiled by pork and poultry lobby ABPA.

 

- Reuters

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