Argentina ships first beef to EU under feed-lot quota
Five containers of meat have been sent to Europe, as part of an agreement with the EU confirmed in September 2014. The South American country is approved to supply 48,200 tonnes of tariff-free feed-lot produced beef – a benefit shared with the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Uruguay.
Carlos Casamiquela, who heads up the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in Argentina, confirmed that 110 tonnes had been shipped, which included more than 18 different premium cuts of meat.
"We are again reaching international markets with premium products," said Casamiquela. He added that the country was working to open to the door to new markets, and to help domestic producers to reach buyers from around the world, which he said represented an important initiative that could result in new production opportunities and increasing employment.
Javier Rodríguez, secretary at the Department of Political-Institutional and Agricultural Emergency Coordination, and responsible for international relations, said: "With this shipment the objective of the National Government to move towards the export of products with higher added value is consolidated. It enables more job generation and positions further premium cuts of Argentine meat around the world."
Rodríguez said the agreement on the feed-lot quota was the result of five years of international negotiations, and would help strengthen existing commercial ties, as well as contributing to the development of the Argentine livestock sector.
