Beef exporters appoint new president
24/07/2008
The Brazilian Association of Beef Exporters (Abiec), has appointed economist Roberto Giannetti da Fonseca as its new president. Mr Gianetti is the current director of the International Relations and Foreign Trade Department for the Sao Paulo Federation of Industries (FIESP).
The new president faces big challenges. In the last few years, Brazilian beef exports have greatly expanded in a scenario of strong offer of cattle for slaughter and local prices below those of its main competitors. Brazilian beef has consolidated in many markets around the world but cattle offer is now lower and Brazilian cattle and beef prices are some of the highest in the world. The reasons for this are the little incentive to investment in husbandry in the last few years due to the low price and low profitability of cattle and higher cow slaughter.
In the first half of the year, Brazil exported beef for US$ 2,5 billion, Abiec has said. This figure shows 13% growth if compared to the same period of the previous year when exports added up to US$ 2,210 billion. Despite the increase in revenue, volumes fell in the period from 868,4 thousand tons to 702,3 thousand tons. The average price of Brazilian beef in the international market is US$ 3,564.50 per ton while it was US$ 2,551.92 in the first half of 2007, which means an increase of 40%.
"In order to increase exports, Abiec has been working towards opening the Chilean market, resuming exports to Europe, improving the Brazilian origin Certification System of Bovine Cattle and Buffalo (Sisbov) and insisting on penetrating new markets such as Indonesia and Korea and, at medium term, that of the US," said Mr Giannetti.
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