Brazil wants to export more to Russia

Many facilities already have their accreditations, but have been faced with restrictions since 2017. This was one of the main points of discussion in a direct telephone call between the heads of state last week. Another topic of conversation was the commercialisation and production of Sputnik, the Russian vaccine against Covid-19. According to the Brazilian Special Secretariat for Social Communication, “…president Bolsonaro emphasized the need for more Brazilian processors to be cleared for export to that country.” The Brazilian minister of Agriculture, Cattle and Supply (MAPA), Tereza Cristina, did not take part in the conversation.

The Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) said that it has high hopes that the negotiations between the presidents of Brazil and Russia will have a positive outcome. “Recently, Russian authorities aired the idea to reduce taxes on Brazilian chicken meat. Following that, there is an expectation that restrictions are eased, and volumes of chicken and pork meat exports can grow,” ABPA told the newspaper Valor Econômico.

Brazil mainly sells poultry meat to Russia

Brazil sold 143,800 tonnes of meat to Russia in 2020, worth US$ 311.4 million. The main product was chicken meat, with 83,600 tonnes, 30% higher than 2019. Second was beef, with 58,800 tonnes, but at a higher value than poultry, US$ 199,7 million against US$ 108,7 million, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture.

There are 30 Brazilian poultry plants with access to the Russian market and 11 beef processors. However, no less than 54 poultry processors are listed on the Russian government’s website. Amongst these, 23 have restrictions and 1 has had its certification suspended. In the case of beef, 58 slaughterhouses are licensed to export to Russia, but 47 have temporary restrictions.