:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/F5JPYAYYK3X5CNNDY7CPBJFJ3I.jpg "Brazil has confirmed a case of mad cow disease and closed its meat exports to China")
Brazil confirmed the existence of a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known as “Mad Cow”, and immediately shut down its exports to China. He did so through a statement from his Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, which, as GlobeLiveMedia reported a few days ago, warned of a suspected case of the disease and that he was under study. The result of the study was positive, the worst news for livestock in the neighboring country.
Brazil confirmed it was analyzing a possible ‘mad cow’ case: how a positive result would affect Argentine exports
The appearance of the suspected case forced to preemptively paralyze the agricultural slaughter market in the neighboring country. The confirmation would close its sales to China for a while
The disease was recorded, as detailed, in a 9-year-old male animal on a small property in the municipality of Marabá. In addition, it was specified: “The animal, raised in pastures, without food, was sacrificed and its corpse cremated on the spot. The official Brazilian veterinary service is carrying out the epidemiological investigation which can be continued or interrupted depending on the result”.
For all this, it was reported that the “Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has adopted all the necessary government measures for the Brazilian meat market. The World Organization for Animal Health (WHOA) has been notified and the samples have been sent to the institution’s reference laboratory in Alberta, Canada, which will be able to confirm whether the case is atypical. Following the official health protocol, exports to China will be temporarily suspended from this Thursday (23).. However, the dialogue with the authorities is intensifying to demonstrate all the information and the rapid restoration of the Brazilian meat trade. »
In Brazil, they celebrate that their agricultural production has increased to equal the GDP of Argentina
The growth of the neighboring country has been notorious in recent years and today occupies the first place as a world producer and exporter in various segments. A newspaper celebrated the importance of research in new technologies and public policies in favor of the sector
On the other hand, the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro, said that “all measures are adopted immediately at each stage of the investigation and the case is handled with full transparency to guarantee consumers Brazilians and worldwide the recognized quality of our meat.”
Regarding the shutdown of beef exports to China, they will be reinstated when the authorities of the Asian nation decide otherwise, which could take days, weeks or even months, as happened in the last incident in 2021.
when two cases of “atypical” mad cow disease were confirmed at two meat plants.
In the context of Brazil outside the Chinese market, the temporary supply must be covered by countries such as Uruguay and Argentina. In this case, there could be a temporary advantage for local exports, at least until China accepts Brazilian meat again. In addition, in the case of our country, restrictions are applied to the marketing of beef in the world: until December 31 of this year, exports of the 7 pieces of barbecue, the most consumed in the domestic market, will continue to be restricted.
Bolsonaro’s return and the disappointment of Lula’s allies
Two facts stand out with force. On the one hand, the announcement of the former right-wing president and, on the other, the already clear political line of the current president, who instead of leading the broad front that enabled him to win with 50.9% of the vote, seems to lean more and more towards one sector: that of his Workers’ Party
In addition, meat market analysts argue that with Brazil out of the Chinese market, international prices could register sharp increases: the neighboring country accounts for between 35 and 40% of the Asian giant’s imports.
On the other hand, China has become the main destination for national beef exports, despite internal restrictive policies due to the increase in coronavirus cases and given the problems of the aforementioned country’s economy. Beyond that, China represented 80.3% of the volumes exported last December and 77.6% of the cumulative volume of 2022.
As underlined GlobeLiveMedia a few weeks ago, meat exports from Mercosur reached an all-time high in 2022, but Argentina’s participation was the lowest in the last 4 years. The total exported by the region last year was 3.4 million tonnes, with an annual growth of 16.4%, or some 500,000 tonnes more. Yes OK Argentina it also closed with an increase in volume sent overseas, saw a decline in participation in regional shipments and grew below the rate it experienced Brazil there Paraguay over the past two decades, according to Mediterranean-Ieral Foundation.
Continue reading: