The Arab region was the second largest customer of Brazilian dairy produce after South America after it shipped in $15 million (SR56.31 billion) worth of products during the first five months of the year.
The amount was equivalent to about 6.521 tons of milk, cream and condensed milk sold to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Libya, Oman and Tunisia by five accredited dairy companies affiliated with Viva L?cteos — Associaç?o Brasileira de Latic?nios, according to the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (AABC).
Viva L?cteos comprises 36 enterprises, 11 of which are exporters, and account for the near-entirety of foreign sales of dairy from Brazil.
The group’s $15 million worth of dairy exports to the region was about 30 percent of their total revenue for the five-month period.
Brazil sells dairy to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya, Oman and Tunisia, with the first two Gulf countries the top customers of milk cream and condensed milk.
“Saudi Arabia because it has a big population, and the UAE because it is an export hub to other Arab countries,” said technical adviser Gustavo Beduschi.
“[Brazilian] condensed milk has a very big competitive edge, the fact that sugar in Brazil is very cheap,” Beduschi said. “Our flagship export product lately has been condensed milk.”
“As demand for Brazilian dairy product grows, experts expect to witness even further growth in the market throughout the Arab region over the next few years,” said Michel Alaby, the chief executive of AABC.
Brazil’s livestock industry however suffered a setback earlier this after Saudi Arabia and the UAE suspended the importation of beef amid a corruption investigation into the South American country’s meatpacking sector.
The UAE also instructed sellers to withdraw the products – frozen beef and poultry, some frozen vegetables, honey and frozen fish – from markets.
Brazilian police have accused more than 100 people, mostly health inspectors, of taking bribes for allowing the sale of rotten meat products, falsifying export documents or failing to inspect meatpacking plants.

Source: Arab News