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 Brazilian honey exports continue to grow in the accumulated result for the year. Despite the maintenance of the European embargo on Brazilian honey and the slowdown in exports during the months of June and July, there has been a slight increase in export value in the first seven months of this year, compared with 2006.
From January until July 2007, the country exported US$ 12.6 million, an increase of 1.7% over the exported value during the same period of last year (US$ 12.3 million). In the month of July, the value of exports remained stable, on the same level as in June, at US$ 1.86 million. Nevertheless, in a comparison between July this year and the same month of last year, there has been a 12% decrease in exported value. In July 2006, the exported value reached US$ 2.11 million. The president at the Brazilian Association of Honey Exporters (Abemel), José Henrique Faraldo, explained that this decrease is both due to the European embargo and to the rise in internal consumption. "During winter, the domestic market demand is greater. Since this market pays a higher value for honey, exporters end up directing their sales to the domestic market," says Faraldo. The good news is that the price of honey has already started to rise in the foreign market. It went up to US$ 1.68/kilogram, more than the US$ 1.48/kilogram recorded in the same period of 2006. The increase in price was 5.7%. In July, Brazil exported 1,110 tons. Brazilian honey exports grew 23% last year when compared to 2005. Despite the European embargo on the Brazilian product, international sales totaled US$ 23.36 million. Shipments totaled 14,600 tons, an increase of just 1.1% when compared to 2005. An analysis by the Sebrae Agribusiness Unit shows that the 23.3% increase in the value of Brazilian honey exports in 2006 was mainly due to the 298% increase in sales to the United States. Last year foreign sales to the United States totaled US$ 17.33 million, which corresponds to over 74% of total Brazilian exports. Sebrae
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