Brazil, S'pore's main source of frozen beef, will up its supply; price could dip to $6 per 500g
By
Jessica Lim
Brazilian beef could cost $6 per 500g, down from the $7.95 price tag at some supermarkets now, when the increase in imports takes hold/ -- PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
BEEF is likely to become cheaper in Singapore next year, with supply of the meat being bumped up from Brazil, which is already the main source of frozen beef here.
Brazilian beef could cost $6 per 500g, down from the $7.95 price tag at some supermarkets now, when the increase in imports takes hold. At wet markets, the price cuts are likely to be deeper.
The news comes as a Brazilian government team wraps up a three-day mission to increase food exports to Singapore. In 2006, US$121 million worth of Brazilian food products, including instant coffee, chicken and pork, was brought in. The figure more than doubled last year to US$298 million.
In the first 10 months of this year alone, US$285 million (S$436 million) worth of Brazilian foodstuffs was imported, on target for a US$300 million total by the year end.
Beef forms a large part of these imports. Last year, 46.5 per cent of the 12.92 million kg of beef imports came from the South American country.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) is holding talks with the Brazilian team on importing dairy products and eggs. Singapore now gets most of its dairy products from Australia and New Zealand, and most of its eggs from Malaysia.
Diversification of food sources, which encourages competition among exporters, is a key strategy employed by AVA to keep food prices here down.
The Brazilian delegation, led by Mr Celio B. Porto, secretary for Agribusiness International Relations in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply, said yesterday that with imports increasing, the next step is to work with importers and exporters to find ways to bring costs down.
His delegation's visit coincides with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's trip to Brazil, where he is promoting cooperation in areas like microbiology, molecular biology and genetics.
Distributors and butchers here are cheered by the news. A Brazilian beef distributor who wanted to be known only as Mr Mah, has been selling 2,000kg a day, down from 3,000kg three months ago. He said: 'We have been suffering because people are eating less beef because it is more expensive than other meats. This is such good news in a recession. I hope business will increase.'
