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Brazilian exports of products of animal origin should continue growing expressively, according to the Agricultural Policy secretary at Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture, Ivan Wedekin. .
"We can only see blue skies," Wedekin said. "That is, the Brazilian airship is going to continue soaring through extremely favorable markets."
In his evaluation the sector's recent performance has made the country expand its participation in the world production of foods.
"The exceptional growth of exports of cattle beef, poultry and pork makes Brazil one of the main countries in the production of proteins in the 21st century," he said, at the opening ceremony of Global Feed & Food.
Global Feed & Food is an international congress about food safety promoted by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and that was held earlier this month in São Paulo, the financial capital of Brazil.
However, Wedekin stated that the country needs to take all necessary precautions in the sanitary area.
"Up to now, Brazil has been an island in the point of view of quality and food safety," stated the secretary, referring to the fact that the country has not suffered with the epidemics that affected livestock in other nations, as was the case of bird flu in Asia.
He called the health of animals in Brazil the "chicken that lays golden eggs" and defended the need for greater and greater investment in the area, both from the government and from the private sector.
According to the president of the National Union of Animal Feed Industry (Sindirações), Mário Sergio Cutait, one of the organizers of the event, for Brazil to reach a position of leadership in the foreign market it was necessary to follow the demands of importers.
One of these examples is the execution of halal slaughter of animals so as to answer to the demands of the Muslim countries.
At the meeting, Wedekin defended the greater and greater opening of markets and mentioned the subsidies provided by rich countries.
According to him, Brazil has a level of protection in the farm sector of just 3%, against 17% of the United States, 36% in the European Union and over 50% in Japan.
"We hope that rich nations are prepared to open markets, as the growth of imports from developing economies is fundamental for the improvement of well being in such an uneven world, in the social aspect," he said.
Within the productive chain of agribusiness it was pointed out at the congress that Brazil has factors that are favorable to the increase of production, due to the soil, climate, capital and lab our, as well as to the high technology.
"Brazil is destined to dispute markets with category and high quality products," stated Wedekin.
Sector
Agribusiness is responsible for 33% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Brazil, 42% of total country exports and 37% of the jobs generated in Brazil.
Last year, foreign sales of agricultural products generated to the country a total of US$ 36 billion, which generated a surplus of US$ 25.8 billion.
Approximately 80% of the Brazilian food production is consumed on the domestic market and the rest is exported to over 209 countries.
In 2003, Brazil sold over 1,800 different products to destinations like Europe, the United States, the countries of the Mercosur, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
The objectives of the Global Feed & Food Congress, are to cover themes connected to the food productive chain, including producers of animal feeds, breeders, agro-industries and reaching doctors and nutritionists.
The event took place at the Research Institute of the Syrian Lebanese Hospital, in São Paulo, the largest business center in Brazil.
Anba - www.anba.com.br
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