ISLAMABAD, Feb 28: Brazilian poultry sector has called for a joint venture with their counterparts in Pakistan with the hope to expand business in the region.

Brazil, being world’s largest exporter of poultry, not only sells more than 4 million tons of poultry per year abroad but is also world’s largest exporter of halal poultry accounting to 1.8 million tons per year.

“There are many aspects that could be explored between the poultry sector of both countries,” Ricardo Santin, Vice-President and Market Director Brazilian Poultry Association, said here on Thursday.

However, he added that Pakistani market was still closed for the Brazilian poultry, but negotiations on approval of an Animal Sanitary Certificate are at an advanced stage. He said that during the last decade, Brazil helped emerging economies meet the growing demand for poultry meat.

While acknowledging that Pakistan too has an advanced poultry industry, he said joint ventures between Brazilian and Pakistani companies would be a win-win situation for both partners.

“The Brazilian philosophy is to never threat local producers, but rather cooperate with them, creating synergies in terms of products and helping to fulfil unattended demands,” Mr Santin said, adding, “Asian countries have been benefiting also by having access to new technologies and new products, generating complementarities between Asian and Brazilian producers.”

It was informed that among the top five biggest poultry production companies three are Brazilians, and the main destinations of Brazilian poultry products are Saudi Arabia, European Union, Japan, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, China, South Africa, Egypt, Kuwait, Iraq etc.

The members of Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) highlighted that consumption of poultry meat was increasing in the country due to health fitness consciousness and also due to limited capacity of beef and mutton sectors to cater to growing demands.

It was informed that poultry meat accounts for 25.8 per cent of total meat produced in the country and was rapidly replacing the red meat consumption. However, beef consumption was around 54.7 per cent and out of total meat, mutton consumption is 19.5 per cent.

It was decided that an exclusive meeting would be held between Ricardo Santin, who is also Vice-President of the International Poultry Council and the PPA.