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Russian and Brazilian technical experts are working together to try to reach an agreement in the next few days to suspend the Russian embargo on Brazilian meat.
The Russian government decided in favor of a partial suspension, which took effect yesterday, November 16, and opens the door only to poultry, pork, and beef produced in the state of Santa Catarina.
The Russians believe that shipments from Santa Catarina carry greater assurances, since the state is considered free of hoof and mouth disease, with controls so rigorous that there is no need for preventive vaccination of the cattle herd.
In the rest of Brazil's meat-producing regions, vaccination campaigns are still required.
For Brazilian exports to Russia to return to normal, a commission of Brazilian and Russian veterinarians who have spent the last three months evaluating sanitary conditions in Brazil will have to render a favorable verdict, which is what Brazilian entrepreneur Marcos Vinicius Pratini de Moraes, president of the Brazilian Association of Meat Export Industires (Abiec), expects to occur in the new few days.
This opinion is shared by the president of the Russia-Brazil Committee for Business Development, Ara Abramian.
The two of them granted an interview to the press to discuss the Brazil-Russia business council, which was installed yesterday. The creation of this council was in anticipation of the upcoming visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is expected to arrive on November 21.
Pratini de Moraes called for a revision in the meat export contract norms, which he considers unwarranted and incompatible with international standards, especially now that Russia is about to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).
"The Russian veto on all types of meat, including chicken, just because of the appearance of a case of hoof and mouth disease, is an absurdity," he remarked, referring to the fact that this disease does not attack fowl.
The entrepreneur also recalled that the decision to impose the embargo, on September 20, was made after a case was reported in the Amazon region, which is not one of the sources of meat exported by Brazil.
Through September, Brazil exported US$ 1.160 billion to Russia and imported US$ 575 million. Of the total exports, 90% corresponded to shipments of meat, with the rest being mainly sugar, coffee, and tobacco.
Agência Brasil
Translator: David Silberstein
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