Agência Brasil

Brasília - In an audience last Thursday (20), a group of lawmakers from South Korea informed the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply, Roberto Rodrigues, of their country's interest in purchasing Brazilian chicken.

South Korea has the potential to import, annually, 60-80 thousand tons of chicken from Brazil, and the expectation is for the first shipments of the product to be embarked before the end of this semester.

South Korea's interest in importing Brazilian poultry grew after the outbreak of cases of "bird flu" in the countries that are its traditional suppliers. Since Brazil has never registered any incidence of this disease, the Koreans began negotations with the Ministry of Agriculture. Another Korean mission visited Brazil last year and licensed four slaughterhouses for exportation.

Brazil also intends to export beef to Korea and awaits a definition by the Koreans on opening its market to this product. Kim Jin Pyo, president of the Korean delegation, revealed that South Korea is analyzing Brazil's sanitary conditions, particularly with regard to the erradication of hoof and mouth disease in the country.

Translation: David Silberstein