Last year, Brazil witnessed a significant enhancement in the export of agricultural products to Africa and Asia, following the establishment of specialized sanitary certification services for its agricultural commodities. This development was spearheaded by the Department of Inspection of Plant Products under the Secretariat of Agricultural Defense, focusing on the certification of food safety standards for markets including China, Morocco, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.
Notably, Brazil's exports to the GCC included 270 tons of nuts and almonds in 2023, with shipments like cashew nuts to Oman, Brazilian nuts, and pecans to Saudi Arabia, alongside coconut oil to the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture, agricultural attachés, and ApexBrasil have broadened the scope of Brazilian agricultural exports. This includes a significant increase in coffee beans to Indonesia and the introduction of crude soybean oil to the Moroccan market, alongside a 30% rise in black pepper exports to the same country.
2023 also marked Brazil's entry into the Chinese market with the export of 48 thousand tons of pelletized citrus pulp, a first in the history of Brazil-China commercial relations. Hugo Caruso, Director of the Department of Inspection of Plant Products, highlighted the department's focus on meeting the rigorous quality, safety, and traceability standards of international markets, attributing the success to the self-regulation measures implemented in some sectors.
Sanitary certification, a critical component of Brazil's agricultural export strategy, involves a series of procedures and criteria established by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock to ensure product quality conformity with international market standards. This includes the issuance of the Phytosanitary Certificate (PC), which is pivotal for the export of plant products, alongside the adherence to the officially communicated requirements of importing countries.
Source: datamarnews.com