The spokesman said Tereza Cristina Dias, Minister of Agriculture, was currently planning to visit China in September, but did not disclose the reasons for the delay.
According to meat industry organizations ABPA and Abiec, China is currently considering granting export licenses to 30 Brazilian meat processing plants, including 19 beef processing plants, nine chicken processing plants, one pork processing plant and one donkey meat processing plant.
"The expectations are high because demand exists and the performance of any meat processing plant will be affected by exports to China," Lige Nogueira, executive director of Abiec, Brazilian Association of Meat Exporters, told reporters at an industry event Tuesday.
Ricardo Santin, director of the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), told Reuters that the industry had expected China to issue a statement on export licenses during Dias'visit to China.
However, according to Nogueira, the Chinese authorities had not reached a conclusion on the inspection of Brazilian beef processing plants before issuing export licences for Brazilian beef.
She said Brazilian beef slaughter processors had hoped that online audits of these plants would take place in July. This kind of examination does not require inspectors to come to the scene, and can be carried out remotely.
Hot Model No.: