Brasília, February 26, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - "Bird flu," which has already affected animals in Asia and the United States, is causing concern in Brazil. In a debate yesterday (25) on National TV, Maçao Tadano, secretary of Agricultural Surveillance in the Ministry of Agriculture, said that there are no outbreaks of the virus in Brazil, but it is necessary to bolster sanitary surveillance. "It is necessary to prevent the 'influenza' virus from entering Brazil, since we are now a potentially strong country on domestic and international markets," he affirmed.

Tadano said that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will make resources available to reinforce sanitary protection. "They are estimating R$ 68 million in resources for sanitary protection. It isn't enough, but the President said that it will be ready on time, without problems."

With virus outbreaks in various spots, such as in Asia and the United States, the Brazilian export market should expand. "25% of the Brazilian meat market is currently for export, and we hope for a 10% increase in 2004," affirms Ariel Antônio Mendes, a scientific technician with the Brazilian Agricultural Union (UBA). (DAS)