Country to sell 50% of the meat barred by the EU again
O Estado de S. Paulo
Until the end of the year, Brazil should resume the sale of 50% of the beef it used to export for the European Union (EU) before the imbroglio with the block in relation to the traceability, which occurred in the beginning of 2008 and ended up by embargoing the Brazilian beef. The estimate was made by the Minister of Agriculture, Reinhold Stephanes, to journalists, at his office yesterday. According to the Minister, so far, only 25% of this market has been recovered. The EU was the main beef market Brazil had, importing 912.5 thousand tons of the product in 2007, before the episode, which represented US$ 4.2 billion. With the incident, the block lost place to Russia, which became by far the main purchaser of the product.
After having zeroed the market in January and February/2008 because of the embargo, progress in this area have been made since last year, according to Stephanes. He pointed out, however, that the great advance took place in the beginning of this year. From February to March, there was already growth of 20% in the sales and, from March to April, there was a new 20% increase. "Possibly, from April to May we may also have growth of 20%".
In order to sell the meat to the EU, there are one thousand accredited properties according to the Ministry. But the list of producers interested is much bigger, according to Stephanes. "We have received a monthly average of 100 to 150 applicants wishing to be approved by the audit in order to export for the European Union. Only from Mato Grosso (the main producer) there are a thousand applicants", he informed. "What we do not have is the capacity to audit so many interested producers".