Sao Paulo, Brazil, 13 May – Brazilian exports of pork to Hong Kong rose 43.6 percent in volume in the first four months of the year against 2007, but the rise was affected by a customs inspector strike, the sector association’s chairman told Macauhub.

Pedro de Camargo Neto, chairman of the Brazilian Association of Pork Meat Producers (Abipecs), said that not all containers were able to be loaded at the Brazilian ports due to a strike by Federal Reserve staff.

In the first quarter of 2008, Brazil exported 39,567 tons of pork to the former British colony, a rise of 43.6 percent against the same period of 2007, when 27,549 tons were sent.

Due to the hike in food prices, the rise was even bigger by value. Pork exports to Hong Kong accounted for revenue of US$80.59 million in the first four months of the year, a rise of 106.9 percent on the US$38.94 million of the year-ago period.

The average price of pork rose 35.74 percent in the first four months of 2008, as compared with April 2007.

Whilst Sales of pork to Hong Kong rose, overall pork industry exports fell in the period.

Between January and April, Brazilian sector exports saw a fall of 11.3 percent by volume, to 159,800 tonnes although by value there was a rise of 15.12 percent to US$393 million.

As well as the strike by Brazilian tax inspectors, Abipecs said that the fall ion overall Sales had been due to a dependence on exports to Rússia, which fell 26.56 percent.

In the first four months, Russia bought 39.91 percent of the 159,845 tonnes of meat exported by Brazil, whilst Hong Kong was responsible for 24.57 percent of sales, followed by the Ukraine (6.11 percent), Argentina (6.03 percent), Singapore (4.78 percent) and Angola (3.39 percent). (macauhub)