By Pedro Rafael Vilela
Brazil has temporarily suspended the export of poultry meat and poultry products following the confirmation of an outbreak of Newcastle disease in a commercial poultry production establishment in Anta Gorda, in Rio Grande do Sul state, on Friday (Jul. 19). Restrictions vary from market to market, but the move impacts sales to 44 countries. The disease is caused by a virus and affects domestic and wild birds.
Export certification comes under a bilateral agreement between partner countries, which is why the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has preventively reviewed the International Health Certificates in order to meet the agreed-upon guarantees and requirements.
“The suspensions apply to the area with an impediment to certification, ranging from 21 days for the entire national territory to a radius of 50km from the identified outbreak,” a note from the ministry reads.
The ministry also states that “suspension rules are reviewed daily, in view of the ongoing negotiations with partner countries, in which all actions implemented to eradicate the outbreak are presented.”
The national suspension applies to exports of poultry and poultry products to China, Argentina, Peru, and Mexico from anywhere in Brazil.
The state suspension is restricted to products from Rio Grande do Sul, the state where the disease was detected. Approximately thirty countries will no longer receive poultry and poultry products—including eggs, offal, and meal for animal feed.
Regional suspension (up to 50km from the outbreak) has been imposed for poultry meat, poultry meal, feathers and fish for use in animal feed, and cooked, thermally processed, inedible meat products derived from poultry. These products therefore are not to be exported to Canada, South Korea, Israel, Japan, Morocco, Mauritius, Namibia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and East Timor. Certificates for these destinations with a production date up to July 8 do not fall under the restrictions and may be issued, the ministry added.
Also according to the official statement, products subjected to heat treatment—such as thermoprocessed, cooked, and processed products destined for Argentina, South Africa, Chile, the EU, and Uruguay—have no limitations and can be certified normally.
Rio Grande do Sul is Brazil’s third largest exporter of chicken meat, behind Paraná and Santa Catarina. In the first six months of the year, the state sold 354 thousand tons abroad, bringing in revenues of $630 million. These exports represented 13.82 percent of the $4.55 billion generated by the country and 14.1 percent of the 2.52 million tons exported by Brazil in the same time span.
In the first half of the year, the main destinations for the state’s chicken meat were the United Arab Emirates (48 thousand tons, $94 million), Saudi Arabia (39 thousand tons, $77 million), China (32 thousand tons, $52 million), and Japan (20 thousand tons, $43 million).
