August 12, 2013
Paraguay's meat exports soar 45%
Paraguay's volume of beef shipments was 45% higher at 219.921 tonnes compared to 151.286 in the seven months of 2012.
The difference in income and volume can be attributed to the fact that Paraguay after imposing strict sanitary and quarantines measures in two outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD) to the north of the country last year, is again back on the world market, mainly Russia, Israel and Chile.
However Paraguay still has to recover the status of free of FMD with vaccination, since it is awaiting confirmation from the protocols of the International Animal Health organization, OIE, in Paris which depends from FAO.
By items beef totalled US$617 million up 39% from US$441 million a year ago. Other items such as non-edible products (bone and meat meal; skin chews for dogs, tallow) soared 47% to US$118 million, while those for human consumption (tripe, sausages, tinned meat) jumped 50% to US$13 million.
Offal also had a very strong demand with sales reaching US$86 million or 905 over the US$45 million of Jan-July 2012.
Agriculture and Livestock minister Rody Godoy forecasts that exports from the Paraguayan meat industry in 2013 could reach US$1.5 billion. The private sector is more cautious and prefers an estimate of US$1.3 billion.