Brazilian chicken producers will likely benefit from the avian influenza crisis, as traditional suppliers from Asia and Europe are being heavily impacted by the disease.
According to Francisco Turra, president of the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA), the organisation has already been contacted by countries who had previously been supplied by nations with registered cases of the disease.
"If Brazil is able to keep the bird flu away, in 60 days we will have conditions to provide for this new demand," he said.
However, ABPA's president was emphatic that preventative measures have to be strengthened by producers and the government. Neighbouring Chile has already reported cases of the avian flu and it is currently the migration season for specimens that carry the virus.
"Brazilian chicken can be found in 69% of European countries and in all nations of the Middle East. We cannot lose these markets," explained Turra.
Protection Against Bird Flu
The federal government has recently announced a few protective criteria to avoid contamination, including banning visits to bird farms and the immediate notification of any suspicious symptoms or deaths.
The ban on visits is applicable to foreigners from countries with active outbreaks of the flu. Visitors from unaffected countries are permitted to enter plants after a 72-hour quarantine.
The Brazilian states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Santa Catarina have also extended the protective actions to parks, zoos and shipping terminals.
ABPA expects that countries affected by the bird flu will see a decrease of 600,000 tonnes in chicken meat sales.
Brazil, currently the largest exporter of poultry, estimates a 5% increase in exports in 2017 in comparison to the previous year, or 4.6 million tonnes.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Josiane Lang. Click subscribe to sign up for ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
