Brazilian chicken exports up 6.6% despite bird flu alert

São Paulo, January 8 (EFE) – Despite several cases of avian influenza, Brazil has consolidated its leadership as the largest chicken exporter in 2023, with exports totaling 5.138 billion tons, an increase of 6.6% on the previous year. %. Employers’ associations reported on Monday that this had not affected business production.

Data released by the Brazilian Animal Protein Association show that Brazil’s meat exports exceeded the 5 million tons mark for the first time.

Export figures remain good despite an outbreak of avian influenza in the country, which mainly affects wild birds but not chicken farms.

In May, the first cases of avian influenza were detected in wild birds in the southeast of the country, leading the government to declare an animal health emergency that has spread throughout Brazil and remains in effect.

To date, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has detected a total of 151 cases across the country, none of which occurred in commercial birds, which is why Brazil maintains its status as a bird flu-free country.

Japan, the largest importer of Brazilian chicken, imposed an embargo on products from areas where the disease is active between July and November.

Despite this measure, Japan’s full-year demand still increased by 53.9%, with imports totaling 55,900 tons.Effie

LR/MP/SZG