The president of Paraguay's National Animal Health and Quality Service (Senacsa), José Carlos Martín, recently spoke about the results of a sanitary audit conducted in Panama and the current state of the Paraguayan meat market, which is experiencing rising meat prices ahead of Labor Day.
President Martín assessed the Panama sanitary audit as "unsatisfactory" because it was not carried out in an environment suitable for Paraguay. He stated, "It was not a good audit. There was a lot of pressure, and we did not feel comfortable. The organizational operation was also not very open," adding that the official audit results would be released in approximately 20 days.
Regarding the potential of the Panamanian market, Martín dismissed its small size and emphasized the importance of the Asian market. He pointed out, "The Panamanian market is much smaller. For example, the Philippines is the second-largest importer of animal protein in Asia after China," and explained that the audit included chicken, pork, and beef.
On another note, President Martín defended the Paraguayan government's efforts to open international markets and support producers. He stressed, "I cannot agree with the claim that there is a lack of government support. Both the Senate and the public sector are making efforts. Despite having a small number of diplomatic missions, we have attracted more audits to the country than before."
Regarding the price increases in the domestic market, President Martín attributed them to a combination of seasonal factors and logistical issues. He explained, "The current high meat prices are due to the very poor road conditions in the Chaco region. Furthermore, demand pressure is increasing as Mother's Day approaches."
In this context, he mentioned that Labor Day on May 1st is the day with the highest meat consumption in Paraguay, stating, "Historically, it is the day with the highest rib sales in Paraguay." According to President Martín, Paraguay consumes approximately six million slabs of ribs annually, a level that exceeds domestic slaughter capacity and necessitates imports. However, the current meat prices in neighboring countries such as Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay are significantly higher than those in the Paraguayan domestic market.
Despite this situation, President Martín expressed an optimistic outlook. He concluded, "This is a temporary phenomenon. Road conditions will improve, and production will increase."
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