World meat industry news

Russia has lifted the ban on pork and beef imports from nine Brazilian plants. The market previously closed in December 2017 after the Russian authorities discovered a feed additive that is banned in the country in some shipments.

Russia's veterinarian watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor announced on Wednesday that it ended the 11-month ban. The Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) expects the country's pork exports to increase by 20,000 tonnes this year to 640,000 tonnes, Reuters reports.

The Secretary of Agricultural Defense at MAPA, Luis Rangel said there had been "intense work on traceability and segregation in production to meet the requirements of the Russian market."

"We expect the private sector to understand that the certification and segregation actions are necessary to preserve this market," Rangel said. According to the secretary "the ministry will always be prepared to discuss technically with the Russians, but the guarantees that must be given along the chain of production are the responsibility of the producer and the refrigerator."

Rangel added that after the resumption of the beef and pork exports to this market, the Brazilian meat sector should start to recover from the nation-wide truckers strike that took place this year.

The companies that were suspended and will resume exports are: Barra Mansa Comércio de Carnes e Derivados Ltda; Agra Agroindustrial de Alimentos; Alibem Alimentos; Alibem Alimentos; Adelle Indústria de Alimentos Ltda; Minerva; Cooperativa Central Aurora Alimentos; Refrigerator Astra do Paraná Ltda.

According to ABPA, since the embargo was imposed last year, Russia has stopped importing from Brazil the equivalent of 230.4 thousand tons of pork - about 40% of the country's total pork exports, taking as reference the exports made between January to October 2017.