Costa Rica eyes Japan opportunity
“The pork industry is very important for the country and our goal is for national production to increase and strengthen,” said Doctor Silvia Niño Villamizar, a member of the regulation department of the Animal Products Safety Directorate (DIPOA) for Costa Rica’s National Animal Health Service (SENASA).
Costa Rica exported US$1.6m of pork products in 2012, mostly to other parts of central America, but Dr. Niño hopes this announcement will help expand this number: “A good way to encourage the producers is with the opening of markets like Japan,” she said.
The industry has been pushing for recognition that it was CSF-free since 1997. This followed an outbreak of the disease in 1994, which was tackled by an emergency plan operated by Costa Rica veterinary authorities. Costa Rica’s pigmeat sector has since tried to convince the rest of the world that it is free from swine fever, but progress has been slow with some countries – notably Japan. This matters because not only is Japan the largest importer of pork products in the world – 1.3 million tonnes (mt) in 2012, followed by Russia at 1.1mt and China at 730,000mt – but one of the most demanding regarding quality standards. So until now, Japan has remained closed to Costa Rica pigmeat exports.
However in July, SENASA and the Japan ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries started exchanging information, leading to this month’s declaration by Tokyo that it considered Costa Rica CSF-free. Costa Rica’s agriculture and livestock minister Gloria Abraham responded: “A country capable of selling to Japan is capable of selling anywhere in the world.”
Dr Niño said the next step is to comply with Japanese general health and safety import rules: “The Japanese market is very demanding. It requires not only large volumes of product but a very high quality that obliges the industry to increase its health standards, which finally increases the value of the product.” She added that Costa Rica pig monitoring systems are updated regularly and include regular field and slaughterhouse testing.
