China on Monday announced it has approved six chicken processing plants in Brazil for export.
Additionally, China approved 17 Brazilian beef processing plants, one pork processing plant and one donkey processing plant for export. The plants are eligible to export immediately. The move brings the total number of Brazilian plants eligible for export to 89 from 64.
Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply’s (MAPA) foreign relations secretary Orlando Ribeiro said on Monday that Brazil will seek Chinese export approval for more meat production facilities in addition to the 25 approved this week.
Since China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs confirmed its first African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in Liaoning Province on August 3, 2018, 156 ASF outbreaks detected in 32 different provinces have been detected. Over 1.2 million pigs have been culled in order to prevent the spread, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Overall herd loss in China is projected at 50 percent for 2019, according to Rabobank. Herd losses in specific regions are believed to be up to 60 percent.
Yang Wanming, Chinese Ambassador to Brazil, said China expects to double its beef consumption by 2026 and that the Chinese government will seek to lower customs tariffs and institutional export costs in a bilateral relationship with Brazil in order to increase meat imports.
Since 2015, China has refused to approve any U.S. chicken processing plant to export products to the country. It remains the only country in the world to continue to withhold export eligibility to the U.S.
