Milena Assis
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - The secretary of Agricultural and Livestock Development of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply, Márcio Portocarrero, announced new rules yesterday (1) for ranchers who produce beef and buffalo meat for export. They will have until the end of this year to identify each animal on their properties in conformity with the Brazilian System for the Identification and Certification of Bovine and Bubaline Origin (Sisbov).

Starting in January, 2007, the properties of all these exporters must have the approval of the system. Ranchers whose meat sales are limited to the Brazilian market will not be required to meet these requirements.

According to the secretary, the reformulation of the identification system is a matter of security for consumers of Brazilian meat and an additional incentive for producers. "We expect the export rule changes to earn more money for the ranchers by raising the value of their meat. Once the questions about sanitary conditions are laid to rest, we can demand results from the measure we are adopting," he affirmed.

According to Portocarrero, the big innovation for the market is the concept of "approved property," which will certify the production of animals for export. He said that this concept is based on environmental, technological, social, and sanitary factors, "providing buyer countries with assurances regarding our products, besides improving the image of Brazilian products abroad."

To comply with the new rules, ranchers should direct themselves to the Ministry of Agriculture or a municipal sanitary agency and fill out producer and property registers and an animal inventory, describing the entire production system used on their properties. These data should be taken to a certification agency, which will inspect and identify all the animals on each property. If the property is approved, the producer will receive a Sisbov identification number for each animal.

Translation: David Silberstein

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