José Carlos Martin, head of the National Service for Animal Health and Quality (Senacsa), indicated that the new season for the export of kosher meat to Israel would resume between the end of October and the beginning of November.
“It might take another week because there are elections in Israel, but we should be fully operational by the last week of October or the first week of November,” he said. The crews must arrive in the country for the necessary kosher certification.
The Paraguayan Association of Meat Producers and Exporters (APPEC) reported in its bulletin that “kosher teams will begin operating again at several plants in Paraguay starting in the last third of October and for a significant period of time. It is estimated that they will work almost continuously until April of next year.”
The organization also warned that the industry is trying to negotiate higher prices compared to previous contracts this year. “It should be remembered that Israel now represents a significant part of the equation for the national meat industry, given that it is the third largest destination by volume and the largest by value per ton sold, even though it only imports cuts from the forequarter,” they emphasized.
The head of Senacsa noted that the Israeli market is considered highly important for Argentine protein. “It’s a very important, very reliable market. Sometimes there are logistical complications due to people coming to certify their products as kosher,” he said.
Paraguay is on track to set a historic record this year for its meat exports to Israel, it was announced. The estimated volume is between 45,000 and 50,000 tons.
“We are also going to position ourselves as the second largest exporter of meat in Israel, behind Argentine, but ahead of Uruguay, Brazil and Poland,” he highlighted.
