Brazilian meat giant JBS has become the country’s first processor to export pork to South Korea following a government-led agreement secured last week.
Blairo Maggi, Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, said initially four accredited meat packers from the state of Santa Catarina have gained clearance to ship pork to the Asian nation.
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And more are expected to follow after Brazil was awarded foot-and-mouth free status from the World Organization for Animal Health, opening up a market that the country’s government says is worth US$1.5bn a year.
Under the deal, Brazil expects to export more than 30,000 tons of pork to South Korea per annum.
“With the declaration of a country free of foot-and-mouth disease, we will move on to other Brazilian states without vaccination soon,” Maggi said.
Negotiations between the two countries had been ongoing since September 2016.
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By GlobalDataMeanwhile, one of the approved firms, JBS’ subsidiary Seara, said today (21 May) it has closed the first round of sales. A shipment of 50 tons of pork is set to leave Brazil from the port of Itajaí, Santa Catarina, in the “coming days”.
According to the statement from JBS, South Korea is considered the third-largest pork importer in the world and has one of the highest per capita intakes of the meat, estimated to be in the region of 33 kilograms per person each year.
Antonio Augusto De Toni, executive director for exports at Seara, said: ”The Korean market imports an average of 35 tons per month of pork, therefore represents an enormous potential for the Brazilian pig.”
