Minister: Tehran eyes halal meat exports from Brazil to Muslim nations
Iran’s minister of agriculture emphasized the gradual reduction of meat imports from Brazil due to improved domestic production, stressing the strategic use of existing infrastructure in Brazil to re-export red meat under the Iranian Halal brand to Islamic countries.
During his visit to the Iran Halal Center in Sao Paulo while attending the BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ Summit, Gholamreza Nouri Qezeljeh emphasized the gradual reduction of meat imports from Brazil due to improved domestic production, IRNA reported.
Halal refers to products and practices permissible under Islamic law, particularly regarding food and drink prepared in accordance with religious guidelines.
“Given the domestic production improvements and increased red meat imports from neighboring countries — which offer logistical advantages — imports from Brazil may decline,” Nouri Qezeljeh stated. “However, even after achieving self-sufficiency, we will not abandon the infrastructure established here for halal meat supply. We can re-export red meat under the Iranian Halal brand to Islamic and other interested countries.”
The agriculture minister explained that recent red meat imports were largely driven by currency shocks, which disrupted domestic production and necessitated imports to address shortages.
Nouri Qezeljeh added, “In recent years, so-called ‘source markets’ have entered the red meat export arena. Their proximity to Iran, along with cultural and religious familiarity, has simplified logistics. This shift reduces the workload at the Iran Halal Center in Sao Paulo.”
“Our current focus is to prioritize imports of frozen meat, particularly veal, from Brazil,” he noted.
While acknowledging that red meat imports from Brazil will decrease, the minister affirmed, “The Iran Halal Center in Brazil will continue operations as long as necessary. We will leverage its capacities for trade, re-exports, and providing services to other countries.”