Over the past two months, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) added several new measures that will have serious repercussions on the Saudi import poultry market. On May 5, SFDA suspended 11 Brazilian poultry plants from exporting to Saudi Arabia, which accounts for 60 percent of Brazil’s poultry exports to the Saudi market.
Meanwhile, in early June, SFDA suspended poultry imports from France and Ukraine, and all three countries were suspended by SFDA for different reasons.
Currently, it remains unclear how Saudi Arabia will meet poultry consumption since it relies heavily on imports. Unfortunately, the United States will not be able to export to Saudi Arabia as long as the country maintains its strict ban against stunning during the poultry slaughtering process.
To date, SFDA has not provided key information on the ban, such as the reasons for the suspension, how long the suspension will last, or what the Brazilian companies should do to expedite the lifting of the import embargo.
According to some reports, SFDA suspended the 11 facilities because of contamination but no specific information was provided on the nature of the reported contamination. Several local poultry meat importers and analysts have asked that if exports were suspended because of reported contamination, why did SFDA not recall poultry meat products in the
Saudi market from the suspended facilities.
Others are also curious why Saudi Arabia banned imports effective May 5, instead of providing a grace period until May 23.
Renewed Import Interest for U.S. Poultry
The United States is one of the countries that is approved and registered with 13 poultry establishments listed as active suppliers. However, imports from the listed U.S. facilities were stopped at the end of May 2018, when the SFDA implemented a ban on the use of all sorts of immobilizations in the poultry slaughtering process.
In the aftermath of the suspension of the 11 Brazilian poultry export facilities, FAS/Riyadh has received a significant number of calls from Saudi poultry meat and product importers, who are seeking active U.S. poultry suppliers. Despite the interest, U.S. poultry exporters will not be able to meet demand as long as the Kingdom enforces its drastic ban against poultry stunning in the poultry slaughtering process.
