MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile gives nod to pork imports from Brazilian State of Paraná

Paraná is Brazil's third pork exporting State

Chile has officially recognized the Brazilian State of Paraná as a region free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, allowing imports of pork from this area, it was announced Wednesday during President Gabriel Boric Font's visit to South America's largest country, and confirmed by Chile’s Agriculture Minister Esteban Valenzuela. Chile has also been reported to be negotiating meat imports from other Brazilian states, meeting its phytosanitary standards. In exchange, Brazil has opened its market to Chilean honey imports.

Paraná's meat industry has long awaited this recognition, as the state ranks among Brazil’s top pork exporters. In 2024, Paraná exported 185.5 thousand tons of pork, second only to Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. Brazil’s total pork exports reached 1.352 million tons last year, generating approximately $3.03 billion in revenue.

Meanwhile, Paraná was officially declared free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) in 2021, a status shared with several other Brazilian states. This recognition enhances Paraná’s market access and trade opportunities.

“We recognize that Paraná is free of foot-and-mouth disease and therefore we will be able to receive meat from this very important state in the south of Brazil,” Valenzuela posted on social media.

According to the Chilean minister, the initiative is part of efforts to strengthen trade relations between the two countries, strengthening trade in agricultural products. He also said that the Chilean authorities are still negotiating the purchase of meat with representatives of other Brazilian federative units that meet the phytosanitary requirements imposed by Chile's Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG).

Chile's recognition has been a long-standing demand of meatpackers in Paraná, according to the Secretary for Trade and International Relations at Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Luis Rua.

“This is a very long-standing demand of the state [Paraná] [...] and, soon, companies from Paraná should be exporting pork to Chile,” commented Rua, describing the announcement as “very important.”

In 2024, Paraná was the third-largest pork exporting State free of foot-and-mouth disease. According to the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), last year's pork exports (including fresh and processed products) totaled 1.352 million tons. The result, 10% higher than in 2023, set a new record for the sector, which earned around US$ 3.03 billion from foreign sales.

Of the total volume of pork exported, Paraná accounted for 185.5 thousand tons, second only to Santa Catarina (730.7 thousand tons) and Rio Grande do Sul (289.9 thousand tons).

In response, Brazil has opened up its market to buy Chilean honey. “There's great news for our [Chilean] beekeeping sector. Brazil has decided to authorize the entry [into Brazilian territory] of our honey exports,” Valenzuela added.

Since 2021, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), the world's leading authority on animal health, has recognized Paraná as one of the Brazilian states free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, alongside Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Acre, Rondônia, and parts of Amazonas and Mato Grosso.

The Paraná State Agriculture Federation (FAEP) pointed out that such an international recognition allowed the State “to access markets that pay more for products with this seal of quality.”

In addition, in May 2024, after the end of the last national immunization campaign, the Brazilian government announced that the entire national herd was free of the disease.

The national self-declaration is a necessary step for the recognition of being free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination for the rest of the Brazilian territory. (Source: Agencia Brasil)