Global leader in beef exports knocks on the mainland's door

SAO PAULO, Brazil: The world's largest beef exporter is intensifying efforts to open the door to the Chinese mainland market, vowing to help Chinese consumers get the opportunity to taste the world's best beef barbeque.

"If you don't open the market to Brazilian beef, you will miss the Brazilian barbeque," a smiling Pratini de Moraes, president of the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association, also known as Abiec, said in an interview here recently.

As large developing countries, Brazil and China have a lot in common.

"When people have more money in their pockets, they tend to buy more beef," said Moraes - former minister at the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply.

In the first half of 2007, Brazil exported 1.36 million tons of carcass weight equivalent or $2.2 billion worth of beef to the international market, making the largest Latin American country the world's biggest beef exporter.

The volume and value of Brazilian beef exports in the first half of 2007 represented year-on-year increases of 27 percent and 31 percent respectively. One in every 3 kg of beef shipped on the international market comes from Brazil.

Abiec expects to export a total of over 3.7 million tons of beef in 2007, and Abiec-affiliated companies account for about 90 percent of total Brazilian beef exports.

"The European Union continues to be the main market for Brazilian beef, but we are witnessing a growing demand among developing countries," Moraes said.

"China plays an important role in the emerging market," he added.

Currently, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is a major market for Brazilian beef exports in Asia. In the first half of 2007, Abiec exported 43,971 tons of beef worth $83.27 million to Hong Kong, making the region the seventh largest market for Brazilian beef exports in the world.

But the Chinese mainland market is yet to be opened to Brazilian beef.

However, the good news for Brazilian beef exporters is that Abiec has recently received a couple of Chinese quarantine teams to investigate the Brazilian beef exporting industry.

"We are very optimistic about the Chinese mainland market," said Moraes. "The Chinese mainland is large market for us."

In Brazil, the total beef herd stands at over 200 million head of cattle. The country's 220 million hectares of pasture and the lack of any seasonal problem in producing animal fodder means that Brazilian cattle can be grass-fed in open fields throughout the year.

Cattle in Brazil can receive feed of excellent nutritional value all year round thanks to favorable climate conditions, including temperature, rainfall and sunshine, coupled with good soil and pasture management techniques.

Grass-fed breeding enhances food safety and helps promote the overall well-being of the animals, because the ruminant nature of bovine species fits in naturally with ample free-grazing space, according to Abiec.

Moreover, Brazil has banned the use of both animal proteins for feeding beef cattle and growth stimulants since 1996.

Brazil started to export beef in volume in 1997. In 2001, recognizing the importance of cattle raising for its national economy and the impact of the sector on its foreign trade balance, Brazil changed the name of the Ministry of Agriculture to Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply.

(China Daily 12/28/2007 page20)