Brazil and Canada in meat export talks
The meeting, due to take place at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) will be attended by ministers, officials and technical experts from both countries and will focus on reaching bilateral agricultural agreements. The Brazilian delegation will be pushing for Canada to open the door to pork and beef exports from the FMD-free Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, while the Canadian interest lies in securing exports of fishing and aquaculture, as well as semen and embryos from sheep and goats.
Brazil’s case for exporting pork and beef was strengthened earlier this month, when the US Department for Agriculture (USDA) announced it would accept pork exports from Santa Catarina. Six plants in the state have now been authorised for export to the US.
Brazil has also made moves to resume pork exports to Albania, which were banned when the country adopted EU standards on the use of ractopamine, a feed additive used in Brazil to fatten pigs.
Brazilian minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply Mendes Ribeiro Filho met the Minister of Albania at the Green Week summit in Berlin and asked for the immediate resumption of pork exports. He told the Albanian minister that Brazil could produce pork without the use of ractopamine, but warned the production costs would be higher.
The ministers agreed that technical teams would now review the ban and see if they could come to an agreement.
