Shipment of live cattle, at the Port of Rio Grande (RS), in January 2026 Mercy For Animals The authorization for the Port of Natal to start exporting live animals opens the possibility of Rio Grande do Norte entering this market and brings up discussions about animal welfare, economic impacts and inspection of the activity. The NGO Mercy For Animals (MFA) says that the maritime transport of live animals imposes conditions that it considers incompatible with animal welfare and argues that the activity should not be started in RN. On the other hand, the State Government, Companhia Docas (Codern) and Federation of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of RN (Faern) argue that the operation will follow strict protocols and could expand economic opportunities. ? Click here to follow the g1 RN channel on WhatsApp The first operation is scheduled to take place by the beginning of September and should send 3,300 cattle to Lebanon, as announced by the State Government. With authorization from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), the Potiguar terminal became the only one in the Northeast — and the 4th in the country — authorized to carry out this type of shipment. The maritime export of live animals already occurs through ports such as Vila do Conde (PA), São Sebastião (SP) and Rio Grande (RS). Port of Natal, in the east of Natal Sandro Menezes READ ALSO: Port of Natal is authorized to export live animals; first cargo will be destined for Lebanon Export of live cattle in Brazil grew 5.53% in 2025 and broke a new record NGO asks that activity not be started Mercy For Animals defends that the maritime export of live animals is not started in Rio Grande do Norte. For the organization, trips of this type, which can last weeks, subject animals to conditions that are incompatible with their well-being. “Just because they will be slaughtered does not mean they should suffer mistreatment,” says George Sturaro, director of Government Relations and Public Policy at the NGO. According to him, during transport the animals remain in confined spaces, are exposed to heat, thermal stress and contact with feces and urine, in addition to inhaling ammonia from waste. In the entity's assessment, these factors can cause respiratory problems, injuries and even deaths. The NGO also criticizes the activity from an economic point of view. “By exporting live animals, Brazil stops adding value here and transfers this processing to other countries”, says Sturaro. Mercy For Animals also informed that it is monitoring the implementation of the activity in the Port of Natal and is evaluating the adoption of legal measures to try to prevent the start of the operation. Government defends activity The state secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Guilherme Saldanha, stated that the government will monitor the operation and defended that the activity strictly follows the standards established by the Ministry of Agriculture. According to the secretary, Brazilian legislation provides rules for this type of operation. "What we are going to do is closely monitor compliance with these standards. Under no circumstances will exports fail to comply with these requirements", he stated. According to Saldanha, the rules deal with aspects such as food, water supply, ventilation, available space, animal management, road transport, vessel structure and operation of pre-shipment farms. He also informed that the Institute of Agricultural Defense and Inspection of Rio Grande do Norte (Idiarn) will monitor the inspections carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture. When responding to criticism that it would be more advantageous to export meat instead of live animals, Saldanha stated that RN does not have private slaughterhouses authorized for export nor units with health registration that allow meat to be sold to other countries. “We do not have authorization to export meat and we also do not have slaughterhouses qualified to take live cattle, transform them into meat cuts and export them,” he said. According to the secretary, the activity generates around R$6 billion per year in the country and can generate jobs and attract investment in livestock farming in Rio Grande do Sul. He also stated that Natal's geographic location can reduce the animals' travel time to markets in the Middle East and North Africa. The Government of Rio Grande do Norte reported that it did not disclose the company responsible for the first export because it considered the information strategic from a commercial point of view. Faern sees development potential for RN The Federation of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Rio Grande do Norte (Faern) reported that it supports the export of live animals and defended that the activity be analyzed based on current legislation and animal welfare protocols. “Faern respects the debate on animal welfare, but understands that a regulated and supervised activity cannot be evaluated solely based on complaints or general criticism”, stated the entity. According to the federation, the activity is regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and follows standards that establish care with food, hydration, ventilation, space, handling and transport conditions for animals. Faern informed that the animals undergo a health assessment, remain in authorized Pre-Boarding Stations (EPEs) before boarding and that the operation requires a travel and contingency plan, monitoring by a responsible veterinary technician and inspection of the vessel by Mapa. The entity also stated that it sees no impediment to the activity, as long as all legal requirements are met. How the operation will work According to Codern, the first export should take place between the end of August and the beginning of September. The exact date will depend on the alignment between the exporter, the supervisory bodies and others involved in the operation. Rio Grande do Norte also has a farm qualified as a Pre-Boarding Station (EPE), where the animals will remain before heading to the port. The company reported that the end