COVID-19 hits volume of halal certificates for Brazil’s meat, poultry exports – ANBA

The number of halal certificates issued for Brazil’s animal protein dropped in the first four months of 2020, reported the Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA) citing the Federation of Muslim Associations in Brazil (FAMBRAS).

Halal certification for Arab countries from January to Apr 24 dropped 5% compared to the same period in 2019, except for the UAE that remained flat, ANBA reported.

Certification for Asia dropped 5% except China that rose 10%. The volume also dropped for Europe, by 10%, and for Africa it was down by 5% but remained unchanged for South Africa.

ANBA said the postponement or cancellation of trade events due to the COVID-19 was one determining factor, citing FAMBRAS Industrial Halal Development Manager Dib Ahmad El Tarrass. FAMBRAS is Brazil’s largest halal certifier.

The Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) said sales of some halal products went down in some markets while others imported the same volume or even more, according to ANBA.

However, Brazil’s sales of food and beverages to Muslim-majority countries rose by 4.89% in March to 2.28 million tons, reflecting a normal import pattern in the lead-up to Ramadan.

© SalaamGateway.com 2020 All Rights Reserved