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WORLD NEWS Thursday 23 March 2017

Brazil meat exports collapse in wake of inspection scandal
SARAH DiLORENZO pended exports from
Associated Press the 21 companies under
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s investigation and not-
meat exports effectively ed that only a handful
collapsed this week, the of 4,000 plants were in-
agricultural minister said volved, but that has not
Wednesday, as several quelled concern abroad.
countries halted imports South Africa was the lat-
from the South American est to join the growing
country in the wake of a list of countries that are
meat inspection scandal. instituting partial or total
Brazil is struggling to con- bans on Brazilian meat.
tain the scandal, in which The others include the
investigators say that European Union, China,
health inspectors were Japan and Mexico.
bribed to overlook ex- In a statement Wednes-
pired meats and chemi- day, its Department of
cals and that other prod- Agriculture, Forestry and
ucts were added to meat Fisheries said that it would
to improve its appear- block products from the
ance and smell. companies implicated in
The government has the probe. Port inspectors
largely tried to downplay will also test every con-
the extent of the corrup- tainer of meat from Bra-
tion, while also criticiz- zil for pathogens such as Brazil’s Agriculture Minister Blairo Maggi, right, accompanied by a sanitary inspection agent, col-
ing the federal police for Salmonella. lect meat products for testing, in a supermarket in Brasilia, Brazil, Wednesday, March 22, 2017.
how they have commu- Exports of beef, pork and Brazilian investigators charge that health inspectors in the South American country were bribed
nicated about it. poultry make up 15 per- to overlook the sale of expired meats and chemicals and other products were added to meat to
The result has been a cent of Brazil’s total ex- improve its appearance and smell. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
stampede away from ports, and a collapse in
Brazilian exports. the sector would have meat might be affected. Sniping between the fed- ers that the problem was
On average in March, serious implications for So far, Brazil has not institut- eral police, who are in- smaller than it appeared.
Brazil exported more Brazil’s economy, which ed a recall, but instead is vestigating the corruption, The investigation has re-
than $60 million worth of is already in deep reces- pulling samples of products and President Michel Te- vealed “facts (that) are
meat each day, Agricul- sion. Brazil is also trying from shelves and sending mer’s government has not directly related to errors in
ture Minister Blairo Maggi to address concerns at them for testing. helped matters. the professional conduct
told a Senate committee home, where Sunday Maggi has assured the In a joint statement Tues- of some public servants
Wednesday. That figure BBQs are a weekly rite. public that meat is safe — day, the federal police and do not represent a
was $74,000 on Tuesday, The consumer protection but also said there would and the Agricultural Min- general malfunctioning of
a few days after inves- lobby Idec is calling for a be a recall if any problems istry tried to smooth over the Brazilian system of hy-
tigators revealed the general recall and more were found during the test- their differences and reas- giene security,” the state-
probe. information about which ing. sure the public and import- ment read.q
That precipitous fall in ex-
ports shows how serious
the crisis is and the gov- Striking Argentine teachers stage protest march in capital
ernment should not try to
downplay it, said Michael BUENOS AIRES, Argentina inflation in consumer pric- hard. Some walkouts have congressional elections.
Gordon, CEO of Group (AP) — Tens of thousands es. Last year’s inflation rate ended, lasting only four Macri has fired tens of
Gordon, a corporate and of Argentine teachers reached 40 percent. days in several provinces thousands of state workers
crisis PR firm. marched in the capital Provincial governments that have resumed class- and slashed utility subsidies
“Even if it is a handful of Wednesday as part of a are offering raises of es. to cut government spend-
bad actors, the issue is nationwide strike challeng- roughly half the teachers’ Demonstrators blocked ing. His austerity measures
that those bad actors are ing the administration of demand, varying by re- some of the main avenues have stoked labor unrest in
tainting the entire culture President Mauricio Macri. gion. in Buenos Aires and gath- a nation with a long tradi-
of meat production in the Unions for private and pub- Teachers first began strik- ered in front of the presi- tion of the state providing
country,” he said. “That’s lic school teachers are de- ing March 6, delaying the dential palace. Macri has jobs and benefits.
why a systemic response manding a pay increase start of classes for millions criticized the strike, calling Argentina’s largest union
is needed.” of 35 percent to compen- of children and hitting it a politically motivated is calling for a nationwide
The government has sus- sate for Argentina’s high public schools particularly move ahead of October’s strike for April 6.q