August 28, 2012

Japan to allow Brazilian pork imports

Imports of pork from the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina have been allowed by the Japanese authorities on Monday (Aug 27).

"The opening of the Japanese market significantly changes the future of Brazil's hog sector," local pork-industry trade association Abipecs' President Pedro de Camargo Neto said in a press release. "Japan is the world's biggest importer of pork meat."

The commission for animal health at Japan's Agriculture Ministry cleared pork imports from Santa Catarina after a risk-evaluation process concluded Monday. The Japanese and Brazilian governments still need to negotiate the terms of a sanitary certificate, and Japan must approve a list of slaughterhouses that meet official hygiene requirements before it may actually begin importing pork from the South American country.

But Monday's decision represented the most difficult step for pork exporters to gain access to Japan's market, Neto said, adding that it was the result of "many years of work by the federal and Santa Catarina state government and the private sector."

Japanese veterinarians first visited Santa Catarina in late 2007 after the state obtained international recognition for being free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination.