During the third quarter of 2021, an increase of 22 % was observed, reaching $640 million in exports of fresh, refrigerated and frozen beef, however, in volume it only represented a 2 percent increase, reaching 125,448 tons.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graphic"]
In Panama, the processing plant Union Livestock received the endorsement to market beef in the Asian country, and it is expected that the first containers will be shipped in late April.
At the end of last year, it was reported that the meat product plants that received the endorsement by the General Administration of Customs of China to start selling their products to the Asian giant were Matadero de Chiriquí, S.A.
In the last five years annual per capita consumption of pork in the countries of the region increased from 4.6 kilos in 2012 to 5.3 kilos in 2016, and growth was driven mainly by Panama and Costa Rica.
Between 2012 and 2016 regional pork consumption has maintained an upward trend, growing from 205 thousand tons in 2012 to 249 thousand tons in 2016, which is an increase of 21%.
The requirements for sanitation and traceability are preventing the livestock sector from taking advantage of quotas for meat exports duty free to Europe.
Although the Association Agreement between Central America and the European Union established a quota of 4,800 tonnes per year of rice and a quota of 1,533 tonnes per year of meat, which could enter Europe without incurring tariffs, neither sector has been able to take advantage of them completely.
Local entrepreneurs and US producers want to revive imports of lamb meat into Guatemala.
The goal of businessmen of both countries is to revive a market that until now has not been fully exploited, although since December 2013 rules have been in effect which must be complied with in order to register and certify sheep bred in the country.
Purchase of equipment for quality testing and adjustments in health checks are part of the plan that Panama will implement in order to start exporting meat.
The Ministry of Agricultural Development's plan involves changes to the health system, incorporating new technology for quality controls.The aim is to deliver, in mid-2017, the equivalency questionnaire to the Food Safety Inspection Services at the US Department of Agriculture.
In 2015 the region as a whole imported $96 million worth of processed meat, led by El Salvador, which imported $25 million, followed by Guatemala with $22 million, and Honduras, with $16 million.
Figures onForeign Trade in Sausages Meat and Similar Products in Central America,analyzed by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData.com show that in 2015 the countries of Central America imported 33,528 tons of processed meat, equivalent to $96 million.
It is estimated that in 2017 imports of meat and meat products from China will continue at high rates, due to lower levels of local production.
From a publication by Eurocarne:
The Department of Agriculture has drawn up one of its reports on forecasts for production and trade of meat and meat products in Japan.As indicated, in Japan there is still a reduction in the livestock censuses in the absence of generational change.Consumption also remains very stable.In light of this situation, the USDA estimates that in 2017 the situation seen in 2016 will will be repeated, that is to say there will be very high levels of imports.
Entrepreneurs in the sector have asked for the opening up of a new export quota of 36 thousand tons per year, in addition to the quota of 15,500 tonnes established in the CAFTA-DR.
To minimize the effect felt by that the entry of meat from Brazil to the US under the quota for "Other countries", within which Nicaragua currently exports, entrepreneurs in the meat sector have asked the US government for the ability to increase sales through an additional quota, of a total of 36 thousand tons a year.
The supermarket chain Super Carnes bought the first contingent of eight tonnes to the Solis refrigerating company, one of the nine authorized to sell the meat in Panama.
Paraguayan exporters have requested health permits to sell meat to Panama, from where they plan to redistribute it to other countries in the region.
Currently a sanitation mission from Panama is inspecting the health system and industrial facilities in Paraguay, which has the advantage of having authorization to export to the European Union. This certification would facilitate the process of obtaining permits in Central America.
In the region climatic effects and problems of smuggling have caused scarcity and a rise in cattle prices, the same as is occurring on the international market.
Added to the shortage of cattle is a decline in sales, both regionally and internationally, where "...Stock market contracts for cattle on July 13 performed positively, rising to the maximum limit allowed by the exchange of $3 and almost $4 ", reports Panamaamerica.com.pa.
The United States has lifted the ban which has been in place since 2001 and authorized the resumption of imports of fresh beef from northern Argentina and 14 Brazilian states.
From a statement by the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
APHIS to Allow the Importation of Fresh Beef from Northern Argentina and 14 States in Brazil
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending its regulations to allow the importation of fresh (chilled or frozen) beef from two regions in South America under specific conditions that mitigate the risk of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), the first step in a process for these regions to gain access to the U.S. market for beef. The two regions are:
Imports of pork from Chile have grown and local pork producers are asking the government for actions to be taken to protect them from the competition.
Problems of competitiveness are emerging for some sectors of the Costa Rican agro/livestock production, as entrepreneurs from other countries with which it has free trade agreements -in this case Chile - are taking advantage of opportunities provided by those treaties.