Brazil has temporarily suspended exports of poultry meat and products to 44 countries after a case of Newcastle disease was confirmed at a farm in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
The suspensions are expected to last at least 21 days and vary according to the product and area, based on the commercial agreement between Brazil and the destination country. For countries like China, Argentina, Peru, and Mexico, the suspension applies to national poultry production.
From the state of Rio Grande do Sul, exports are restricted to South Africa, Albania, Saudi Arabia, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Chile, Cuba, Egypt, Philippines, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Jordan, Kosovo, Macedonia, Myanmar, Montenegro, Paraguay, French Polynesia, United Kingdom, Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Taiwan, Ukraine, European Union, Eurasian Economic Union, Uruguay, Vanuatu, and Vietnam.
Within a 50 km radius of the outbreak, products cannot be exported to Canada, South Korea, Israel, Japan, Morocco, Mauritius, Namibia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and East Timor.
With the self-imposed embargo, the resumption of exports does not require approval from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), only from importers, which can facilitate the normalization of trade flow.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the suspension rules will be reviewed daily, based on ongoing negotiations with partner countries – which will include presentations of the actions taken to eradicate the outbreak.
The remaining flock at the Anta Gorda farm (RS), where the case occurred, has already been culled and buried.
China
According to Roberto Perosa, Secretary of Trade and International Relations at the Ministry of Agriculture, shipments to China, the largest importer of Brazilian poultry, are expected to resume and normalize in up to 30 days.
The Brazilian government will send the report with the relevant information about the case to Chinese authorities by Tuesday (23). The response time after submission is 15 to 30 days – for bureaucratic processing, translation, and analysis.
“China is widely receptive. They said they trust the Brazilian authority and that once we report everything, they will take all necessary steps to lift the embargo,” said Perosa to the Brazilian website Globo Rural.
The secretary also stated that Brazil’s initiative to suspend exports gives the country more credibility in the international scenario and in bilateral relations. “We show that we have agreements and strictly follow all protocols, which increases acceptability,” he stated.