Goat and sheep sector unaffected by downturn
12/03/2009
According to Francisco Pastor, director of the International Sheep and Goat Fair (Feinco), sheep and goat breeding is one of the few sector in the Brazilian agrobusiness that will not be severely affected by the global financial downturn.
Mr Pastor has also affirmed that there is ample room for expansion in the sector. "We are foreseeing 20% growth this year. Those who speak about crisis in our sector will be lying," he said.
However, and still according to Mr Pastor, what Brazil needs is to get the productive chain up, running and organised. Today, Uruguay, New Zealand and Australia are world leaders in sheep and goat breeding and derivatives production. In Brazil, just 20% of the lamb sold in the local market is produced in the country The other 80% is imported from Uruguay.
At the same time sheekskins and goatskins are not being fully processed in Brazil, with only a few specialised tanneries and a large number of artisan producers working with them. Mr Pastor insists valuable raw material is being spoilt due to lack of information and technology.
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