EU excluded Brazil from the list of countries that meet its rules on the use of antimicrobials in livestock farming. Measure comes into effect on September 3rd. Photo by David Foodphototasty on Unsplash From September 3rd, the European Union will interrupt its purchases of animal products from Brazil and, in the case of beef, the suspension is not a concern because of the volume, but because of the bloc's strategic weight for national livestock farmers and slaughterhouses. ??The EU excluded Brazil from the list of countries that comply with its rules against the excessive use of antimicrobials in livestock farming. The measure was not motivated by irregularities found in national meat, but because the European Union considers Brazil's control over the use of these substances to be insufficient. ??Do you have any reporting suggestions? Send to g1 The EU is the destination for just 3.7% of the total volume that Brazil exports in beef – and for 5.8% of the value –, but it buys noble cuts and is considered a kind of "showcase" for the world: meeting the demands of Europeans is seen as a seal of quality that helps to open doors in other markets, say experts interviewed by g1. "Europe is a showcase, either because of the requirements in terms of traceability or because of the remuneration. It practically only buys five cuts of our cattle, but it pays well", highlights Thiago Bernardino de Carvalho, a livestock market researcher at Cepea-USP. According to Carvalho, while China pays, on average, US$6.50 per kilogram of Brazilian beef, the European Union pays around US$10 for the same volume. The European preference is for cuts from the hindquarters of the ox, such as filet mignon, sirloin, rump and soft thigh, but also for the rib fillet, which is taken from the front. The rest of the meat from these animals is sold on the Brazilian market, such as picanha. Brazilian meat veto: EU bans animal growth promoters and antibiotics for human use; understand the 5 largest buyers of beef in Brazil. Arte/g1 Why is the EU a 'showcase' for the world? As the largest producer and exporter of beef in the world, Brazil follows strict sanitary standards to supply all the markets in which it operates, including the domestic market. But, in the case of the European Union, the process of enabling farms and slaughterhouses is more complex. To begin with, not all Brazilian states can export meat to the EU. Today, only Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul have this authorization. Furthermore, being in one of these states does not guarantee sales to Europeans. Interested farms must receive a delegation from the EU, which assesses whether the property meets the sanitary, veterinary and animal welfare requirements required by the bloc. Another detail is that each ox that becomes meat for the European Union needs to be tracked individually. It is precisely this series of demands that makes the EU a showcase market. "If a country receives approval to export to Europe, it is receiving a certificate of high regulatory standards", comments Fernando Enrique Iglesias, analyst at Safras & Mercado. Adapting to the strict European system also facilitates access to other demanding countries, such as Japan and South Korea, countries with which Brazil is negotiating opening up the beef sector. Having worked with the European Union for more than 20 years, cattle rancher André Bartocci, from Mato Grosso do Sul, says he is prepared to serve these markets when they open. He regrets, however, that the EU blockade may discourage other livestock farmers from maintaining traceability standards. The Cepea-USP economist has the same concern. According to him, as European standard cattle are more expensive to produce, a good number of producers may end up leaving the protocols aside. "It's natural for this to happen because they won't be getting paid extra for it," says Carvalho. "Usually a Europa ox receives up to 10% premium", says Carvalho, explaining that the premium is the extra value paid for an ox bred to comply with EU rules in relation to national quotations. Brazil could lose more than US$500 million due to the European Union's blockade Search for new markets The strategy of livestock farmers interviewed by g1 is to negotiate this prize in other markets. The idea of ??cattle rancher Rafael Andrade Asato, who is also from MS, is to fit European standard cattle into export programs to the USA or into premium meat protocols aimed at domestic consumption. If the market does not pay an additional price for his herd, Asato says he will stop following European protocols. "It doesn't make sense for me to add a traceability cost, for a chip, if I don't have a premium for it", he states. Carvalho, from Cepea-USP, remembers that, even if the EU releases exports from Brazil again, it will still take some time for producers to sell to the bloc again. This is because the EU will now require proof that an ox has not used antimicrobials throughout its life. "A calf born in August or September 2026, for example, will only be ready for slaughter around 2028 or early 2029", he explains. Cattle rancher André Bartocci explains that his herd has not used antimicrobials for many years because it exports through the Hilton Cota, a method of exporting premium meats with a reduced tariff that prohibits the use of these substances throughout the animal's life. "Those who make the Hilton quota have not used antimicrobials for a long time. But the majority of the meat that goes to Europe is not Hilton, it is Trace list, an [export] category where the producer only needs to prove that they have not used antimicrobials in the last 100 days [of the animal's life]. Now it will change, the entire cycle will need proof", says Bartocci. Government held the production sector responsible for adapting to EU requirements Will there be any meat left in Brazil? The European Union veto comes at a sensitive time for Brazil,