Seen as a delicacy, duck meat has been increasing its share among Brazilian exports. Last year, for example, 3,600 tons were shipped, a record in US dollars (USD 13.1 million). The product, which has high potential and constant growth, caught the attention of Garra International, which closed an agreement in March to sell it in the Middle East.
At first, Villa Germânia Alimentos, one of the largest producers of duck meat in Latin America, will be the sole provider. The operation will have a restricted start, but with plans for volume expansion in the medium term. Within three months, the first products will begin to be sold in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
“Countries from North Africa and the Middle East are currently the destination of 65% of our exports, including chicken, beef, lamb, mutton and, now, duck”, says Matias Hees, CCO of Garra. “After all, we are talking about a market of 400 million people, which has increased its purchasing power and, consequently, its consumption of animal protein. Naturally, this also includes more sophisticated products, such as duck meat”.
Globally, duck meat exports reached 270,000 tons in 2020, with a revenue of USD 1.1 billion, according to market research firm IndexBox. The biggest buyers were, respectively, Germany, Hong Kong and France, while the main sellers were Hungary, China and Poland.