The first 300 kilos of Uruguayan cattle tongue are on their way to Japan

The Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) advised that the customs clearance of that first export was in Carrasco cargo terminalon Friday the 18th.

Minister Mattos controlled the shipment.

It had been 22 years since beef tongue was exported to Japan (a market where this cut is particularly attractive to consumers), since the market was closed in 2000 after the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Uruguay.

Uruguay reopened the Japanese market for boneless and aged boneless beef in late 2018, after nearly 10 years of negotiations, and was the first FMD-free country with vaccination to enter that destination with its meat, considered one of the most demanding in the world in terms of health.

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The first shipment considered 300 kilos.

The exported tongue was processed in the refrigerators of BPU and Minerva Foods and the initial shipment was 300 kilos.

The minister, Fernando Mattos; the director of the International Affairs Unit (UAI) of the MGAP, Adriana Lupinacci; the Director General for International Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRREE), Ana Inés Rocanova; Daniel de Mattos, for the BPU refrigerator; and Ignacio Gamio, from Minerva Foods.

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Representatives of refrigerators and national authorities were present in the operation.

Mattos, in statements published on the internet portal of the Presidency of the Republic, assessed that this fact could open the doors to new business in the Japanese market.

Very demanding market

The minister said that this fact represents a milestone that starts the commercial process with Japan for the export of beef tongue, “a very demanding market, and the one that values ​​this cut the most”, he underlined.

He also stated this Uruguay has obtained the necessary guaranteesand that there is great recognition from the Japanese authorities, with whom they work mainly in health matters.

Furthermore, it recognized the profound technical work of MGAP officials and members of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, to provide full assurance to the import market regarding the safety of the product.

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Beef tongue is a very popular product in Japan.

With these first commercial test shipments, customers can get in touch with the product, Mattos explained.

The minister has foreseen that this instance will certainly open the doors to a commercial flow of this and other products and will determine the strength of the trade between the two countries.

Also, he considered it businesses will have an impact on the entire agricultural supply chainas the Japanese market can triple the value of the product, compared to the current price.

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The shipment was made in Carrasco.

The opening of this market for the Uruguayan bovine language was completed on November 4th. The visit of the President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou, to Japan in October was fundamental for the work carried out for two years by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Livestock, with the aim of accessing that market with new health authorizations .

The data

Currently, Uruguay produces about 3,200 tons of tongue, of which 70% is exported and the rest remains in the domestic market. This export represents an annual income of $9,000,000.

Until 2018, the main destination was China, a market that represented 60% of Uruguayan exports. Subsequently, Russia became the most important market, accounting for 80% of sales of this product.

integrated effort

As highlighted by MGAP, this first shipment “recognizes Uruguay’s state of health” and “represents the culmination of the integrated effort” carried out by teams from the IAU, MGAP’s Animal Industry Division and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The opening of this market for Uruguayan meat was one of the main objectives that President Luis Lacalle Pou and Minister Mattos set themselves during their visit to the Japanese country that they made months ago,” MGAP said on the social network. Twitter.