The green light for this Colombian export is given after the work that has been done with the health authorities of the Asian giant.
Colombia is getting ready to formally begin a beef trade relationship with one of the most populated countries in the world, China.
Part of the context of this news dates back to September of last year, when the Ministry of Agriculture reported on the fruit of the approaches that the Colombian government was leading with its counterparts in China to begin the export of beef.
The first green light granted to Colombia was the approval of the export protocol, which opened the door to a market of more than 1.4 billion inhabitants, and which is considered the main importer of beef in the world, with a global market share of 43%.
As reported by the Agriculture Ministry at the time, this was the step by step that the country went through to achieve the aforementioned endorsement:
- Colombia had to regain the status of a foot-and-mouth-free country with vaccination.
- The People's Republic of China reported the decision to lift restrictions on Colombian beef and pork to that country.
- During the past year, the ICA and the Customs Administration of China (GACC) held meetings in which technical aspects of epidemiological surveillance and control, monitoring and evaluation systems in Colombia for officially controlled diseases were reviewed; Likewise, commitments were made by the Institute to advance the process.
- During the visit of the delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture to this country, the approval of the health protocol for the export of beef was agreed, in addition to the commitment of the technical visit of the Chinese authorities for the admissibility of other products, such as meat pork and Tahiti lemon.
The news this Tuesday is that China enabled the first two processing plants for the purchase of 100% Colombian meat. These are two Minerva Foods refrigerators located in Colombia (Red Cárnica in Bucaramanga and Ciénaga de Oro, Córdoba).
The news was reported by the technical secretary of the Price Stabilization Fund (FEP), Augusto Beltrán Segrerta, and replicated by the executive president of Fedegán, José Félix Lafaurie.
“This is the result of the constant work of the Colombian Federation of Livestock Farmers (FEDEGÁN) over the last 12 years with the support of the National Government and institutions in the sector. The first export of Colombian meat to the Asian Giant would occur once Holy Week ends,” the federation specified.
According to Lafaurie, “the opening of this market and the arrival of Colombian meat to China become the best news in recent years for ranchers throughout the country and are the fruit of the producers' commitment to sustainability, genetic improvement and animal welfare and health.”
