Brazil's total poultry exports, including raw and processed items, rose 5.7 per cent from $6.848 billion in 2016 to $7.236 billion in 2017, according to data released by the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA).

Of this total, 33.51 per cent was exported to the Middle East, which accounted for $2.4 billion, up 2.1 per cent, said a statement.

Total export volume was at 4.32 million tonnes in 2017, it said.

The biggest buyers of Brazilian poultry products in the Arab world were Saudi Arabia ($1 billion), the UAE ($517 million), Iraq ($192 million) and Kuwait ($190 million), it added.

Oman and Jordan also imported poultry from Brazil. Among the key factors driving Brazil’s strong performance are the fact that the country is safe from avian flu, good diplomatic ties with the international markets, and the superior quality of its poultry products, said a statement.

Dr Michel Alaby, secretary general and CEO of ABCC, said: “The latest figures released by the Brazilian Animal Protein Association reflect continued efforts by both parties to nurture trade relations between Brazil and the Middle East.”

“The recent hike in Brazilian poultry exports to the region indicates growing demand for raw and processed poultry items from Brazil,” he said.

“I am confident that this trend will continue to rise, given the superior quality of our products and stronger ties between Brazil and the Arab World,” he added.

In December 2017 alone, Brazil recorded $523.8 million worth of total poultry export revenue. Total shipped volume reached approximately 321,500 tonnes, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service