UPDATE 1-Brazil's BRF gets approval to export pork meat from Mato Grosso plant to Vietnam
(Adds executive quote, details of export)
SAO PAULO, March 23 (Reuters) - Brazilian meatpacker BRF SA was authorized by Vietnam to export pork meat from a Mato Grosso plant and now plans to double its shipments to the Asian country, the company said on Wednesday.
The authorization will allow BRF to grow in a strategic geographic market, in line with its plan to increase its relevance in major global consumer centers, BRF's manager for institutional relations, Luiz Tavares, told Reuters.
Vietnam was the fifth main destination for Brazilian pork in 2021, receiving more than 45,000 tonnes of the product, or 4% of total Brazilian exports, according to data from the government.
"The expectation is that meat consumption in Southeast Asia will grow significantly in the coming years and we are ready to meet this demand," said the executive.
BRF already exports pork to Vietnam from a plant in Uberlandia, in Minas Gerais State, which received the authorization required last year. The company did not disclose exports volumes.
With the authorization of the Mato Grosso unit, located in Lucas do Rio Verde, the company will sell pork cuts that include shoulder, ribs, chops, loin and ham.
BRF added that it is advancing further in the high-value pork segment, one of the important paths in its Vision 2030 project, in which the company intends to reach annual revenue of more than 100 billion reais in the next decade. (Reporting by Roberto Samora; Writing by Peter Frontini; Editing by Leslie Adler, Bernard Orr)
