Paraná will export pork to Chile

Chile will begin importing pork from Paraná after recognizing the state as a foot-and-mouth disease-free zone without vaccination. The South American country recognized Paraná as a foot-and-mouth disease-free zone without vaccination, which allows the import of pork from producers in Paraná. The announcement is expected to be formalized this Wednesday (23) with the presence of Chilean President Gabriel Boric's delegation in Brazil.

Chilean Agriculture Minister Esteban Valenzuela announced the news on social media. “We recognize that Paraná is free of foot-and-mouth disease and, therefore, we will be able to receive meat from this very important state in southern Brazil,” he said.

The minister also highlighted that the action is part of efforts to strengthen trade relations between the two countries by strengthening trade in agricultural products.

The Secretary of State for Agriculture and Supply, Marcio Nunes, highlighted the importance of the decision. “This is a great moment for Paraná, one of the largest pork producers in Brazil. This decision should generate more income for our producers, more jobs, in addition to the appreciation and recognition of the quality and health of our products, adding value and opening space for other commercial relationships,” he said.

Paraná is the second largest pig producer in Brazil, with 12.4 million pigs slaughtered in 2024, equivalent to 21.5% of all national slaughter.

Still in 2024, Paraná led the national growth in production. According to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the state produced 281.4 thousand more heads of pigs in 2024 compared to 2023.

Luis Rua, Secretary of Commerce and International Relations at the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, highlighted the decision as “very important” and stated that it meets a long-standing demand from Paraná meatpackers. “This is a long-standing demand from the state and, soon, Paraná companies should be exporting pork to Chile,” he said.

In 2024, the State was the third largest exporter of pork in Brazil, with 185.5 thousand tons, behind Santa Catarina with 730.7 thousand tons and Rio Grande do Sul with 289.9 thousand tons.

Public policies

The good performance of Paraná's agriculture is linked, among other factors, to the public policies to encourage the sector developed by the State Government. One of the main milestones of this effort occurred in May 2021, when the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) recognized Paraná as an area free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination.

The international seal was a recognition of the health work carried out in the field by the producers themselves, as well as the agricultural cooperatives and state bodies, and served as a credential to open new markets for purchasing animal protein produced in the State.

Since then, the vaccination campaigns that took place twice a year have been replaced by the updating of herds, whose registration is mandatory to guarantee the traceability and health of the animals.