A number of MEPs will meet the Brazilian Minister for Agriculture, representatives of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Institute and federal parliamentarians on a three day trip to the South American country from 3 to 5 April. No Irish MEPs are included in the delegation.

They will also travel to the state of Mato Grosso to meet its governor, visit cattle farms and a slaughterhouse.

The report from the trip will be presented to the EU Agriculture Committee. A two-year investigation by Brazilian Federal Police into two of Brazil’s largest meat processing companies (JBS & BRF) revealed in March 2017 serious fraud and corruption, showing that potentially dangerous meat products were placed in the food chain.

Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of beef and poultry combined. It is also the EU’s largest meat supplier. In 2017, Brazil supplied the EU with over 140,000t of beef and veal, or 42.1% of its total bovine imports.

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