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Yomiuri Shimbun
7 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Brazil, Japan Beef Talks Focus on Smaller Brazilian States, Upsetting Industry
SAO PAULO, Aug 5 (Reuters) – Ongoing talks to open the Japanese market to Brazilian beef are focusing on supplies from three small Brazilian exporting states, upsetting other parts of the South American country's industry that are eager to reach the high-paying customers, according to multiple sources. Brazil, the world's biggest beef exporter, has tried for two decades to crack the Japanese market without success. A deal would give Japan an alternative to its top suppliers, the United States and Australia, at a time when U.S. tariffs are reshaping global food trade. Negotiations gained momentum after a state visit of Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in March to Japan, one of the world's largest beef importers. But the current state of talks, which focus on states representing less than 4% of Brazil's exports by volume, worries meatpackers in the big beef-producing states of Sao Paulo, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Para. Together, they accounted for nearly 60% of Brazil's total beef exports, or 1.72 million metric tons last year. A Brazilian government memo, issued after a technical visit by Japanese officials in June, showed Brasília answered 'a questionnaire for the import of beef from the southern part of the Republic Federation of Brazil,' naming Rio Grande do Sul, Parana, and Santa Catarina. Those three small exporting states were declared free of foot-and-mouth, a contagious viral disease in cattle, earlier than the other states, although Brazil acquired in May the national status of being free of the disease without vaccination from the World Organization for Animal Health. Brazil's last outbreak of the disease was in 2006, according to the government. The Brazilian Agriculture Ministry did not have an immediate comment on its talks with Japan. A local government source, who asked not to be named, confirmed talks were taking place by region. The person said Brazil initially has no plans to negotiate permits beyond the three states. Beef sector representatives, including exporters, told Reuters they hope more states will be included. 'We know talks are difficult,' said Paulo Mustefaga, head of beef lobbying group Abrafrigo, which represents Marfrig and smaller beef exporters. 'The surprise for us is that this is now moving towards approval for only three states.' Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said it was aware of Brazil's status of being free of foot-and-mouth disease. It added that Japan is 'conducting a risk assessment in accordance with Japanese procedures' ahead of issuing any export permits to Brazilian meatpackers, without elaborating.
Hindustan Times
29-07-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Ensuring animal welfare is crucial to prevent zoonotic diseases
The recent reopening of Gorakhpur and Kanpur zoos after a 56-day closure due to a bird flu scare has once again highlighted the ever-present threat of zoonotic diseases in India. In the aftermath of such incidents, much of the public discussion and policy response tends to focus on disease management systems, including surveillance, laboratory upgrades, and emergency protocols. However, as India observed World Zoonoses Day on July 6, 2025, with the theme One World, One Health: Prevent Zoonoses, it is important to recognise that animal welfare remains a critical but often overlooked factor in preventing zoonotic diseases. Zoo (REPRESENTATIVE PIC) In India, common zoonoses such as Japanese encephalitis, leptospirosis, scrub typhus, kyasanur forest disease, brucellosis, and rabies have caused significant public health challenges in recent years. India's approach to zoonotic disease prevention has evolved considerably, guided by a growing understanding of the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health through the One Health framework. Despite this progress, the scale of the challenge remains significant. The World Organization for Animal Health reports that over 60% of existing infectious diseases and 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic. According to the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), India records a median of seven zoonotic outbreaks every month, making it one of the countries with the highest burdens of infectious and zoonotic diseases globally. India's efforts to address zoonotic diseases have been shaped by the One Health approach, which seeks to integrate human, animal and environmental health systems. The National One Health Programme for Prevention and Control of Zoonoses, which is active across all states and union territories, is a testament to this shift. The priorities of the programme include strengthening surveillance, building laboratory capacity, and fostering intersectoral coordination. In October last year, the department of animal husbandry and dairying launched the Pandemic Fund Project 'Animal Health Security Strengthening in India for Pandemic Preparedness and Response'. This $25 million fund is directed towards ensuring enhanced disease surveillance, improved laboratory networks, and better emergency response mechanisms. Despite these advances in recognising animal health as key to preventing zoonoses, India's current policy framework remains heavily reliant on disease surveillance and outbreak control, with limited attention to the broader dimensions of animal health. Intensified livestock production to meet rising protein demands and rapid deforestation due to unplanned urbanisation have led to dense human-animal habitations putting India at a critical juncture. Research shows that healthy and well-cared for animals are less likely to become reservoirs or amplifiers of zoonotic pathogens. Proactive measures such as minimising stress through better living conditions in livestock and wildlife populations has been shown to be beneficial to make animals less susceptible to infections. Global health organisations, including the World Organisation for Animal Health, have emphasised that the One Health approach must include comprehensive animal welfare standards as a foundation for disease prevention. Animal welfare within this framework is not limited to disease prevention and veterinary treatment but also includes aspects such as reducing overcrowding, ensuring proper housing, nutrition, humane handling, and the ability for animals to express normal behaviour. Yet, there are no comprehensive measures within India's current policies to mandate and incentivise improvements in animal welfare standards. Take India's National Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR), which acknowledges the role of animal health in the fight against drug resistant infections. However, in prioritising surveillance, management of antibiotic use and infection control, it continues to ignore the root cause - poor animal welfare and management practices--that drives the need for antibiotics in the first place. To close the gap, India's animal health policies need to move beyond surveillance and control, which are necessary but not sufficient measures in themselves. This would begin by updating and enforcing animal welfare laws to include standards for housing, space and care in both livestock and wildlife sectors. Funding from pandemic prevention and One Health initiatives should not just be utilised towards building technical infrastructure. Dedicated funding should be allocated for animal welfare initiatives in livestock, poultry, and wildlife, with incentives for veterinarians, farmers, and animal handlers to adopt best practices. Simultaneously strengthening monitoring and evaluation, will ensure that welfare interventions translate into reduced disease risk. For India, integrating animal welfare into national policy is not just an ethical imperative but a pragmatic one. True prevention requires a comprehensive approach to animal health. Healthy animals are less likely to shed pathogens, reducing the risk of spillover to humans. As recent outbreaks have shown, the cost of inaction is far greater than the price of preparedness. By prioritising animal health and welfare, India can safeguard public health, protect rural livelihoods, and secure its place as a global leader in zoonoses prevention. This article is authored by Pallavi Krishnappa, researcher, ALPN Research Foundation.
Straits Times
06-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
China studies resuming chicken imports from Brazil, minister says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: An excavator moves earth next to a hole in the ground at a poultry farm after Brazil confirmed its first outbreak of bird flu on Friday, triggering protocols for a country-wide trade ban from top buyer China and state-wide restrictions for other major consumers, in Montenegro, Brazil May 16, 2025. REUTERS/Diego Vara/File Photo RIO DE JANEIRO - China is studying ways to soon lift its ban on imports of chicken meat from Brazil, in place since the South American nation reported a case of bird flu on a commercial farm in May, Brazilian Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro said on Sunday, citing discussions at the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro. Speaking during the event, Favaro said the topic came up in a meeting between Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. "I had the opportunity during the bilateral meeting between President Lula and the Chinese premier (to say) that they could already review their position on restrictions," Favaro told reporters, adding that Li said China is now "studying the protocols quickly to resume the purchase of poultry meat." While no timeline for lifting the embargo was discussed, Favaro emphasized Brazil's efforts to recover export markets after over 20 countries imposed bans following the bird flu case in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Most restrictions were lifted after the World Organization for Animal Health declared the case resolved in late June. Brazilian poultry exports have suffered, with shipments of fresh chicken meat falling 23% in June to 314,000 tons, according to government data. On Thursday, the Agriculture Ministry announced that seven more nations had lifted restrictions, leaving bans in place in nine countries, including China, Malaysia, and Peru. REUTERS
GMA Network
27-06-2025
- Health
- GMA Network
PH lifts import ban on Dutch poultry products
The Philippine government, through the Department of Agriculture (DA), has lifted the ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds, including poultry products, from the Netherlands. In a statement on Friday, the DA Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed Memorandum Order 31 lifting the importation ban, 'following the World Organization for Animal Health declaration that the Netherlands is now free from avian influenza.' Moreover, no new outbreaks have been reported by the European country since May 16, 2025. The DA's import ban—which also covered poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen—was imposed in December last year after Dutch veterinary authorities confirmed an outbreak of H5 (N untyped) Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) on November 17, 2024 in Putten, Gelderland, affecting domestic birds. 'Based on the evaluation of the Department of Agriculture, the risk of contamination from importing live poultry, poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen is negligible,' Tiu Laurel said in his memorandum. The DA said the order takes effect immediately and shall remain in force unless formally revoked, adding that 'all conflicting directives are considered rescinded.' The Agriculture Department added that it was directed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to diversify the country's meat and protein sources to safeguard food security amid rising global and domestic animal health threats. —Ted Cordero/ VAL, GMA Integrated News
Canada News.Net
21-06-2025
- Health
- Canada News.Net
Bird flu-free: Brazil begins talks to reopen export markets
SAO PAULO, Brazil: Brazil is taking confident steps to restore its dominance in global poultry exports after declaring its commercial chicken farms free of bird flu. The declaration, made by the agriculture ministry on Wednesday, follows a critical 28-day waiting period with no new outbreaks. The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture said this week that the world's largest poultry exporter has declared itself free of the bird flu virus in commercial flocks after observing a 28-day period without any new commercial farm outbreaks. The countdown to reclaiming the country's disease-free status began on May 22, following the complete disinfection of the farm in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, where Brazil's only commercial outbreak was detected last month. Under existing trade protocols, China and other importers banned chicken imports from Brazil, which accounts for 39% of global chicken trade, pending measures to control the disease and prevent its entry into other commercial chicken facilities. Brazil aims to resume chicken exports with its trade partners, but that will require talks with each one, Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro said in a statement. Earlier, a Rio Grande do Sul state official had said Brazil had taken all the steps under health protocols to once again declare itself free of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus. Reclaiming Brazil's status as free HPAI is not automatic and must be confirmed by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), according to the body's guidelines. Brazil's first outbreak hit a chicken breeder farm in the town of Montenegro, where 17,000 birds were culled.
