Brazil agrees on chicken export deal with Algeria

Brazil and the North African country have completed negotiations to open the Algerian market to Brazilian chicken after reviewing certificates and establishing HEALTH and safety requirements, the ministry said in a statement.

ABPA, the Brazilian chicken and pork industry group, welcomed the news, saying Algeria, a country of 44 million people, had until now been a closed market for chicken imports.

Brazil is the world's largest poultry exporter and leading supplier of halal chicken, supplying about 2 million metric tons annually to the Arab world, according to ABPA. Halal MEAT comes from animals slaughtered using a special method prescribed by Islamic law.

“We are going to focus our strategy on meeting local product demand,” ABPA President Ricardo Santin said in a statement. “Brazil has solid know-how in exporting halal chicken meat and will be able to meet the needs of this market,” he added.

Earlier this year, the country reported its first cases of avian influenza (AIAI) in wild birds, but nevertheless remains technically free of the disease as no cases have been detected on commercial farms.