Senacsa explains meat exports and effect on prices

The National Competition Commission (Conacom) published a recent report on the meat production and marketing sector in Paraguay. The document notes concentration in production, industrialization, and sales, with a strong presence of large ranchers and slaughterhouses. In an interview with ABC Cardinal, the president of the National Service for Animal Health and Quality (Senacsa), José Carlos Martin, clarified this data. He explained that much of the meat is processed in plants authorized for export, but not all of that production ends up outside the country. Martin indicated that there are plants with different profiles. Some allocate about 50% of what they process to the local market. Others direct almost 90% of their production to the international market. In addition, the head of Senacsa provided trade flow figures. He noted that, as of yesterday, Paraguay exported about 353,000 tons of meat. Total production was about 500,000 tons. Therefore, the volume exported would not have ...