Because Panama lacks the certifications required by the U.S. country, authorities of that country are analyzing the possibility of exporting through certification in a laboratory in Honduras.
After the sanitary protocol to sell meat to China came into effect and the industrial plants in Costa Rica were certified, the Central American country's sales to the Asian giant doubled between 2018 and 2019.
Figures from the Foreign Trade Promotion Agency (Procomer) show that in 2018 beef sales to China reached $22 million, while in 2019 they doubled to $57 million.
With the approval of a decree declaring beef and all its edible offal as sensitive products, importers in the country will not be able to opt for tariff exemptions.
The Cabinet Council approved Cabinet Decree No. 29 dated December 10, 2019, which declares as sensitive products for the national economy all beef, whether fresh, chilled, frozen, salted, smoked, or processed, as well as all edible bovine offal, whether fresh, chilled or frozen, reported the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA).
In the last fifteen years, the herd in the country has grown 300%, and it is reported that in some store chains the demand for meat and other buffalo products exceeds the supply.
Between 2004 and 2019, the number of buffaloes has increased considerably, from 3,000 to 12,000 heads, and according to estimates by the National Technical University (NTU), there are currently some 270 production farms in the country.
Businessmen of the sector estimate that annually they export near $9 million in bovine meat, below the $10 million reported in imports.
For the National Federation of Farmers and Cattlemen of Honduras (Fenagh) it is contradictory that the trade balance is unfavorable, since the annual production of meat is 60 thousand tons, and in spite of having surpluses it is resorted to the import.
The Panamanian government's decision to raise the tariff on meat imported from Nicaragua from 3% to 30% to allow local producers to compete has so far shown no clear results.
In September 2018, the Panamanian government decided to establish barriers to the entry of Nicaraguan beef by raising the import tariff from 3% to 30%. This has not had the expected effects, as the prices paid to local producers have not risen.
A law was approved in Panama that allows the authorities to temporarily suspend imports of agricultural products for human consumption when local production is enough to meet demand.
The Congress approved Ley 680 project, which will allow the Ministry of Development to suspend imports of agricultural products for a period of 12 months. Among the products whose importation may be suspended are meat products and fluid milk.
The farmers' association reports that the annual per capita consumption of boneless beef has fallen from 13.6 kilos to 13.3 kilos.
The National Association of Cattle Ranchers (Anagan) states that the reduction, although slight, is due to a fall in local production and an increase in imports, which may have generated an imbalance in the local market.
To calm the spirits of local producers, the Panamanian government has announced the beginning of an audit of the process to import agrifood products, in order to identify companies that are bringing goods in without meeting any of the requirements.
A few days after producers in the country held demonstrations against the allegedly excessive entry of products such as dairy and meat, the government decided to form, together with representatives from the agricultural sector, a discussion table to solve some of the problems.However, this negotiation was abandoned by representatives of the unions.
Using resources from the European Union and the Nicaraguan government, a program will be financed which focuses on the transformation of the cattle value chain and the implementation of a sustainable production model.
The institutions promoting the program reported that "... through this program, the European Union (EU) is making available to the GRUN a total of €20 million, which will be administered by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for the Development (AECID), which is also contributing 500 thousand euros, and there will also be a counterpart contribution from the Government of €1.2 million."
Representatives of the trade union announced that the country will receive the "insignificant risk" certificate next May, which will allow it to reach new markets and export cuts of bovine meat on the bone.
Local authorities reported that in relation to bovine spongiform encephalopathy disease, better known as "mad cows disease", the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) will grant the country the status of "negligible risk", which is necessary to sell abroad cuts of bovine meat on the bone.
In Costa Rica, producers of buffalo, rabbit and lamb meat sell their products through restaurants and some supermarkets, in response to growth in consumption which has been noted in recent years.
The sophistication of consumption, hand in hand with a greater diversification in the gastronomic supply at restaurants has been pushing up demand for nontraditional meats, such as rabbit, buffalo and lamb.
The union of exporters of bovine meat reports that since the end of September orders from the South American country have halted, falling practically to zero.
From August 27 to 31, a delegation of companies from the Asian meat and fish industry will be meeting with local businessmen to establish business alliances.
The people who make up the group that will be visiting the country represent beef and seafood companies. The businessmen will visit slaughterhouses and local companies in the sector of their interest, with the objective of analyzing the purchase of products and making investments.
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