Brazilian poultry farmer tightens rules against avian flu – 06/03/2023 – Market

The arrival of avian flu in countries bordering Brazil sparked an alert in the Brazilian production chain, which took a series of protective measures as a warning sign to try to prevent the arrival of the disease.

Competitions and events that bring together birds were banned for 90 days in Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná, the main poultry producing states, and the rules on farms have become even stricter in recent weeks due to the registration of cases in neighboring countries, such as Argentina and Uruguay.

Visitors began to be banned from the farms, trucks are being disinfected, as well as cars, the screens on the farms were revised –so that wild birds do not come into contact with the flocks– and the orientation was that the water collected in lakes should not be given directly to the animals. In addition, special clothing is required in the aviary.

“We leveraged these measures, just as the states took decisions such as preventing bird encounters. Thus, commercial visits are avoided, for example”, said Ricardo Santin, president of ABPA (Brazilian Association of Animal Protein).

Brazil is the only one among the major world producers that has never registered cases of the disease, which is highly contagious, but the risk of entry is real, says the sector, and this could incalculably harm the performance of exports.

The problems faced by neighbors in South America have not significantly impacted Brazilian business so far, according to ABPA, because they are not major exporters.

But there was an increase in sales in January to the main global destinations due to the consequences generated by the avian flu in several countries. China, the main destination, imported 60.2 thousand tons in January, 24.7% more than in the same month last year. There was also growth in shipments to Japan (23.1%), Saudi Arabia (111.3%), South Africa (15.7%) and the European Union (20.4%).

65% of Brazilian chicken production and 80% of exports come from the south of Brazil – the country accounts for 35% of world exports.

Exports should exceed 5 million tons this year, compared to 4.8 million last year, which resulted in US$ 9.7 billion in revenue (R$ 50.44 billion, at this Monday’s exchange rate).

The country should produce a total of 14.8 million tons of chicken meat, compared to 21.3 million in the United States, according to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture).

In addition to the containment measures, the country has always relied on the natural protection of the Andes Mountains and the Amazon, but the approximation of cases of the disease in recent weeks has worried the sector.

Argentina, for example, suspended the export of poultry products after the first case of avian flu was detected in a production center in the province of Rio Negro.

In Peru, biologists have collected samples of sea lions in recent days in the face of an outbreak of avian flu that could have killed 3,487 specimens since November. Uruguay, on the other hand, detected a case in a wild animal in Lagoa Garzón, 200 kilometers from the border with Rio Grande do Sul.

“The risk exists, it exists because this disease is all over the world, today it is endemic in Europe, it is becoming endemic in the United States, everything in wild birds, in Asia it has been endemic for a long time. For us, in countries who are our neighbors only came from wild areas or backyard birds, they did not enter industrial herds, so this is a comforting situation. It is not reassuring, but it demonstrates a slightly lower risk.”

In Santa Catarina, the second largest poultry producer market in the country, the Secretary of Agriculture and the IMA (Institute for the Environment) suspended singing tournaments, bird exhibitions and the participation of birds in agricultural fairs for 90 days.

The fear, according to the folder, is that poultry farming represents the highest revenue in exports from the state, which has three migration routes for wild animals – one on the coast, one on the highlands and another in the extreme west of the state.

The work in the state also involves not authorizing visits to aviaries and even distributing bilingual folders on roads close to the border region with Argentina.

In a statement, the president of ACAV (Catarinian Aviculture Association), Ricardo Castellar de Faria, said that it is important to avoid areas frequented by wild birds, as the virus can remain in the environment for up to eight months.

In Rio Grande do Sul, on the 17th, bird singing tournaments and meetings of poultry breeders had already been canceled as a way to prevent avian flu, for a minimum period of 90 days.
The government of Paraná also suspended the presence of birds at agricultural events, fairs and any type of exhibition for the same period.

The decision, taken through Adapar (Agência de Defesa Agropecuária do Paraná), took effect last week and includes guidelines for not handling or picking up dead or dying birds.

Professor at USP (University of São Paulo, specialist in agribusiness, Marcos Fava Neves said that there is a risk of the disease entering the country, but, if that happens, the impact should be small.

“Risk exists, but as it is worldwide and in a milder version, I do not believe in significant commercial impacts [nesse momento]”, he stated.

Santin said that the sector is prepared for this risk. “So much so that it brought Brazil free of this disease until today.”

Despite the fear being concentrated in the states of the southern region, which are the main producers, others are also afraid, such as Mato Grosso.

Governor Mauro Mendes (União Brasil) said that health defenses are on alert and redoubling care measures, but there is nothing on the horizon that signals a risk to the state.