Just as at one point Uruguayan citrus reached United States, now it is time for boneless ovine meat, “it will be a very good letter of introduction in order to enter bone-in mutton products to Mexico and the European Union” admitted Gastón Scayola, Vice-President of San Jacinto Meat Packing House, in charge of shipments.
According to the entrepreneur, the opening of the United States market will not imply a dramatic change to the reality of Uruguayan ovine meat exports, which totaled 23,470 tons (carcass weight) in 2013.
Consultant and analyst Carlos Salgado estimated, some time ago, that Uruguay could place between 1,000 and 2,000 tons of ovine meet in the United States.
“United States will be another player and we have to be present and go back to the market niches that we had before the onset of the foot-and-mouth disease in the country” in 2001, said Scayola, and added that, “nonetheless, it will be very important as an introduction letter in order to enter Mexico and the EU, in a couple of years, with bone-in meat, which is more valuable”.
The Vice-President of San Jacinto revealed that “there is considerable interest” in Uruguayan ovine meat and he acknowledged that the meat packing company “is doing business” because Mexicans believe Australian and New Zealand meat “is very expensive”. Both countries are Uruguay’s main competitors in the meat markets.
In addition, “we are interested in Mexico, a country with which Uruguay has a free trade agreement and aim at supplying supermarkets of the highest standards”.
Scayola acknowledged that Mexico “can open up the market for bone-in ovine meat” and hopes to be able to place “expensive cuts of lamb and also provide an alternative for the meat of adult animals (sheep and steers) which does not have a market”.
Meanwhile, the new shipment with San Jacinto’s premium lamb steaks, loins and shanks departed to the United States on Thursday, where it will arrive on March 13th.
