Brasília - Yesterday Russia announced a partial suspension of its embargo on Brazilian meat that will allow the states of Acre, Amapá, Maranhão, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins to restart exports. However, the Russians are demanding that any meat they import from Brazil come from meat packers they have approved. Of the six states that will now be able to restart exports to Russia only the states of Rondonia and Tocantins have such establishments.

Meanwhile, under the agreement reached this week the states of Pará and Amazonas will only be able to restart exports next year.

It is estimated that restarting beef exports to Russian will mean an increase of 20% in pork and beef exports. Brazil is the biggest meat (including poultry) supplier to the Russian market. So far this year Brazilian meat exports to Russian have been worth US$1.4 billion.

Next week a mission will go to Moscow to negotiate the end of the suspension on meat from the state of Mato Grosso do Sul and Paraná.

Translation: Allen Bennett