FIFA World Cup boosts exports of halal chicken to Qatar

A golden opportunity for selling industrial products, the FIFA World Cup also helps to boost Brazilian exports of halal chicken to Arab countries.

Shipments to Qatar, which is hosting the tournament, increased 40% from January to October this year, reaching 90,680 tonnes. According to data from the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), the revenue earned reached US$178 million, representing a 67% increase over the same period last year.

According to ABPA’s director of markets, Luis Rua, the projected increase in consumption due to the Cup favored the Brazilian industry. With around 3 million inhabitants, Qatar is expected to receive more than 1 million tourists for the first phase of the games.

“If we include the tournament’s final rounds, we’re talking about 1.5 million people extra people in the country, half of its population,” points out Rua. However, the world championship alone does not explain the excellent shipment performance. Brazil also sent more halal chicken to the United Arab Emirates and Singapore, which imported 377.3 thousand tonnes and 129.1 thousand tonnes, respectively, in the first ten months of the year, representing increases of 23% and 54% over the total from January to October 2021.

Avian influenza outbreaks affected the exports of major chicken producers such as the United States, reducing flocks and product availability. “Brazil has never registered any a single case. Even in countries in the [Persian] Gulf, there are problems with avian influenza, so Brazil stands as a safe partner at this time,” says Rua.

In addition, the war in eastern Europe has disrupted the flow of chicken shipments from Ukraine. “Saudi Arabia and UAE were Ukraine’s two biggest consumers in the region. There were four, five months of the year when Ukraine was practically out of the market because it couldn’t access its ports,” recalls Rua.

Another factor driving up demand for Brazilian chicken was the rise in poultry production costs in some Arab countries. “The majority of them import corn and soybean meal. Local production is becoming so expensive that they are resorting to imports to reduce the (prices) paid by the final consumer,” says the ABPA director.

Please find below the track record of the volume of chicken meat (hs code 0207) from Brazil to Qatar from Jan 2019 to Sep 2022. The data is from DataLiner.

Chicken meat exports to Qatar | Jan 2019 – Sep 2022 | WTMT

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

As the world’s largest halal chicken exporter, Brazil has been operating in this segment for 50 years. “In fact, the first shipments of chicken meat from Brazil abroad were to countries in the Middle East, which profess the (Islamic) faith and consume this kind of product,” recalls Rua.

To operate in this market, industries need to certify that their product is suitable for consumption by Muslim populations and undergo regular audits carried out by certifying companies authorized by the importing countries.

Source: Correio do Povo

To read the full original article, please go to: https://www.correiodopovo.com.br/not%C3%ADcias/rural/copa-impulsiona-exporta%C3%A7%C3%B5es-de-frango-halal-para-o-catar-1.926413

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