Japan eases restrictions on Brazilian chicken imports
Japan has decided to ease the import restrictions on Brazilian chicken, a decision announced during Agriculture Minister Carlos Fávaro’s visit to the country.
Under the new policy, Japan will now permit Brazilian chicken imports based on the status of each municipality.
Previously, Japan had blocked all imports from two Brazilian states due to minor outbreaks of avian flu in subsistence farming poultry, one in Santa Catarina and the other in Espírito Santo.
These outbreaks were limited to domestic animals with no connection to commercial poultry farms.
Hence, the local food industry, like that across the entire country, maintains its “disease-free” status.
This approach mirrors the one applied internationally to US poultry products. Since 2021, the US has experienced a significant disease outbreak, including in commercial poultry.
For US industry exports, permits are issued by the county, a group of municipalities, as explained by Luizinho Caron, a Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation veterinarian.
Japan’s decision is significant as it paves the way for a management model that could benefit the entire country should the disease spread.
Japan is also the second-largest market for Brazil’s chicken meat industry, with Brazilian exports to the country totaling nearly US$1 billion in 2022.
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