On Thursday morning (23), the minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Favaro, met with the ambassador of China in Brazil, Zhu Qingqiao, to clarify the work being carried out by the Brazilian government aimed at monitoring the case of bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), detected in an animal in the municipality of Maraba (PA).

International trade in Brazilian beef is temporarily suspended by China, following the health protocol established among the countries that import Brazilian beef.

The minister stressed the importance of Brazil to continue fulfilling its responsibilities to offer the best goods to partner countries with transparency, efficiency and speed. “It is extremely vital that we establish mutual respect between our nations and for this, we need to ensure that all obligations are met in the best possible way”, he added.

The Chinese ambassador praised Brazil for having followed the health measures to the letter and announced the intention to boost agricultural cooperation between the two countries.The trade in Brazilian beef is very important for both. China is the largest destination for Brazilian exports, while Brazil's protein is the main market for Chinese consumers.

It is extremely important to analyze the test that confirmed the presence of Exotic Bovine Disease (BSE) in a nine-year-old bull, raised on pasture, on the small property in Para. The material was sent to the WHO reference laboratory, located in Alberta, Canada, where it will be possible to determine the atypical occurrence of this disease.