China’s government has opened the country’s market to Brazilian dairy products, following approval of 24 establishments to export products such as milk powder and cheese, Tereza Cristina, the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, said on Tuesday in a statement issued in Brasilia.

The minister noted that the opening of the Chinese market to Brazilian dairy products “will boost the milk supply chain” and that it was good news for the sector “which is experiencing a very difficult and hopeless time.”

The official statement recalled that there are about 1.2 million small dairy farmers in the country, “who are experiencing a difficult time with the loss of 0.30 reais per litre of milk.”

Cristina pointed out that “Brazil has always wanted to have access to the Chinese market, in order to be able to export these types of products, also improving on the price that is paid to Brazilian producers.”

The issue had been agreed with China since 2007 but there have been no establishments approved for export to date.

Brazilian dairy association Viva Lácteos expects that following this approval, Brazilian companies in the sector will be able to export products in the value of US$4.5 million to the Chinese market, namely milk powder and cheese. (Macauhub)