RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Uruguay is confident that the BPU meatpacking plant, located in the department (province) of Durazno, may be rehabilitated to resume meat exports to China after the Asian country suspended it last April for non-compliance with labeling.
This was emphasized to the press by the Uruguayan Foreign Minister, Francisco Bustillo, during a visit to the meatpacking plant that he carried out this Monday together with a delegation.
“The meat issue is fundamental for Uruguay, and we know the difficulties that the meatpacking plant is suffering today due to the suspension of exports to China. It is an issue that involves all of us equally, and it is everyone’s responsibility to overcome the difficulties so that exports to China can be resumed quickly”, highlighted the Chancellor.
In this sense, Bustillo considered that BPU is a “model meatpacking plant, not only in Uruguay but also in America and the world” and that the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries (MGAP) have been working “intensely” to lift the suspension.
The Chancellor said there are “certain expectations” that the plant can be rehabilitated to resume meat exports to the Asian giant. This has been “a tedious and long process” in which they have complied with all that has been requested.
“It depends on the fact that the organizations involved in China will take into account the virtues of the work carried out by the technicians of this meatpacking plant. Once the different stages of the rehabilitation process have been completed, we estimate that we are already with the certain expectation that the process can be completed soon”, he pointed out.
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The new Minister of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fishing, Fernando Mattos, also spoke on the matter, telling the press on Monday that they have “firm expectations” that the rehabilitation will be completed this week, since “all the requirements” have been fulfilled.
This suspension was one of the most problematic points for the former Minister of Livestock Carlos María Uriarte, who was dismissed this Sunday from his position. At that time, the situation caused the resignation of the general director of Livestock Services, Eduardo Barre.
China is the main market for Uruguay’s exports, with a volume of 23% of the total according to the May report of the Exporters Union (UEU), and meat is one of the star products in the Asian giant’s purchases.