Bolivia, Chile advance in beef export clearance

The National Animal HEALTH and Food Safety Service (SENASAG) of Bolivia and the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) of Chile held an extraordinary meeting in Santa Cruz to speed up the sanitary clearance process of Bolivian products of animal origin, with a particular focus on beef destined for the Chilean market.

At the meeting, key agreements were reached to strengthen technical cooperation between the two countries.

Juan Quiroz, DIRECTOR of Senasag, announced that a Chilean delegation will visit Bolivia next June to complete the assessment of the Action Plan for the control of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a prerequisite for EXPORT.

Likewise, Bolivian auditors have scheduled inspections of MEAT processing plants in Chile, which are currently suspended due to administrative irregularities.

"These actions will strengthen mutual trust and product quality," the official statement said.

Meat

Representatives of Bolivia's livestock sector, including the Santa Cruz Cattle Breeders Federation (Fegasacruz) and the Fridosa and Frigor meatpacking plants, attended the meeting and expressed concerns about the timing and sanitary requirements.

Technical reports sent to Chile in January are under review, a process expected to unlock the expected exports , Senasaga said .

“Cooperation with Chile not only guarantees international food safety standards, but also opens up strategic trade opportunities for Bolivia,” the report said, highlighting both countries’ commitment to regional food security.

The effort is part of the country's efforts to diversify its meat export markets, which are largely concentrated in CHINA; since Chile imports a significant portion of the meat it consumes, this opens a window for Bolivian producers.

With the sanitary approval, Bolivia aims to enter a market with demand for more than 200,000 tons of beef per year, SAG predicts.

The final decision will depend on the results of the planned inspections and technical approval of the Action Plan for the Control of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), which is of concern to the Chilean delegation.