Japanese Officials to Visit Brazil to Discuss Meat Plant Inspections

A Japanese delegation will arrive in Brazil this Friday (May 2) to define the schedule and itinerary for inspecting meat processing plants, a key step toward opening the Japanese market to Brazilian beef exports. Marcel Moreira, Deputy Secretary of Trade and International Relations at Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, confirmed the news during an event with agribusiness leaders at Agrishow in Ribeirão Preto (SP) on Wednesday (April 30).

“We’ve been negotiating with Japan for a long time to open this market, and thanks to our strong bilateral relations and Brazil’s sanitary status, President Lula’s visit to Japan helped signal readiness for the next step. This visit will determine exactly when and how the inspections will occur,” said Moreira.

The event was organized by the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) at the booth of agricultural machinery manufacturer Baldan. In his speech, Moreira noted that the U.S. is Brazil’s third-largest trading partner and that Brazil has adopted a pragmatic approach amid ongoing global tariff conflicts. The country is closely monitoring risks and opportunities for key exports to the U.S., such as coffee, orange juice, beef, sugar, and ethanol.

“For example, our beef has been hit with a surcharge and could face tariffs of up to 39% when including the general 10% rate. We believe Brazil will maintain or even grow exports due to the quality and price of our beef, but Canada and Mexico deserve attention given their free trade agreements with the U.S.,” he added.

Pasture Conversion and Sustainable Agriculture

Moreira also discussed the Ministry’s new “Caminho Verde Brasil” (Green Path Brazil) program, which replaces a previous initiative to restore and convert degraded pastures. A study has identified 160 million hectares of degraded pastureland in Brazil—40 million of which have suitable soil and water conditions for productive use.

“Of course, these areas need investment to correct soil conditions, but converting 40 million hectares could allow Brazil to double its food production,” he said.

This week, the federal government announced the second EcoInvest auction under the Caminho Verde Brasil program—a credit line within the National Climate Fund aimed at financing pasture recovery.

Financial institutions will bid on how much they plan to raise in the market to supplement the government’s investment. The goal is to restore at least 1 million hectares. Producers who receive funding must commit for 10 years not to deforest any part of their land—even areas where deforestation would be legally allowed.

At Agrishow, Secretary Moreira emphasized that the government plans to offer financing with interest rates “well below” market levels to support farmers interested in converting degraded pasture into productive land.

Source: Globo Rural

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