Canada expands area for purchasing Brazilian beef

Canada decided to expand the area authorized in Brazil for the purchase of beef. The states of Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Acre, Rondônia, in addition to 14 municipalities in Amazonas and five in Mato Grosso, recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health (OMSA) as zones free from foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, will be able to send their products to the North American country as soon as the health certificate is updated. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), a Canadian food inspection agency, recently completed the risk assessment for the import of boneless and aged beef from these regions and communicated its decision to the Ministry of Agriculture. Next week, the Brazilian authority will send a proposal to update the health certificate to Canada with the new requirements for export. Only after Canadian acceptance will new zones and states be able to begin shipping. The expansion of the area comes after intense bilateral debates since the opening of the ...