Dubai: The UAE, targeted as a potential hub for Brazilian trade in the Middle East, represents a growing market for Brazilian halal food exports, though it experienced a sharp decline in construction materials trade over the past three years.
More than 30 per cent of Brazil’s poultry meat exports are transported to the Middle East, the South American country’s leading market for the commodity, with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait among the top buyers.
The group of 86 people traveled to the Middle Eastern country as part of a mission promoted by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade. According to the trading company’s representative, Luis Carlos Porciúncula, out of the total sold, 60% consists of meat from the cow’s front half, and 40% from the back half. All of the beef will be prepared under the Halal system, a set of Islamic rules for slaughter and production.
Last year, 1.6 million tonnes of chicken exported from Brazil, or 45 per cent of total foreign sales, were destined to 60 countries that require Halal certification. Abef’s executive chairman, Francisco Turra said: “The Islamic market is one of the most important ones for Brazilian poultry exports. Presently, the near entirety of the Abef’s 33 affiliates have premises for processing Halal, and the rising sales volume to Muslim countries reflects the excellence of our slaughterhouses in this process.”
SAO PAULO, Brazil — The Brazilians call it “frango” and the Iraqis call it “dajjaj,” but more than ever before, they’re referring to the same chickens. Brazil’s direct exports to Iraq have exploded from virtually nothing before the American occupation to $107 million in 2008 to $250 million last year. And poultry is leading the charge. Chicken and anything it can be turned into now make up about 80 percent of those exports.
Brazil’s Poultry Exporters Association (Abef) promises to work hard
to open new markets this year, in order to partly make up for the
losses incurred due to the appreciation of the real (the Brazilian
currency) against the dollar, which made the domestic product more
expensive abroad, and due to the global demand retraction seen in 2009.
More Halal beef for Arab countries – Egypt, Libya and Algeria should
collaborate with the recovery of Brazilian bovine meat exports next
year, says Roberto Giannetti da Fonseca, president of the Beef Industry
and Exporters Association.
The Middle East is the main consumer market for chicken produced in the
state of Paraná, according to the Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA). In
2009 alone, up to November, the state shipped 874,200 tonnes to the
region, generating revenues of US$1.34 billion.
Bovine meat exports from the Brazilian state, Mato Grosso, to the
Middle East in October grew 41 per cent in comparison with September.
Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain and Lebanon were the leading
buyers.
300 Brazilian companies have already received halal certification,
guaranteeing that their products may be consumed in Muslim companies
reports The Brazil-Arab News Agency. “Ninety per cent of
Brazilian companies are currently getting ready to receive halal
certification,” Ali Saifi, Vice President of the Centre for Promotion
of Islam to Latin America (CDIAL) told The Brazil-Arab News Agency.
Brazilian
Halal exports to the Middle East are expected to exceed USD 6.38
billion in 2008, as the demand for beef meat and poultry continues to
rise in the region. Industry reports have revealed that 33 per cent of
Brazilian poultry and 40 per cent of its meat production are being
supplied to the global Halal market, which is largely concentrated
within the region.
