EN 
PT_BR 
An official mission from the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) visited Brazil from June 9 to 13 to assess the Brazilian health defense system. The visit is part of negotiations to open the Japanese market to domestic beef and included activities in the states of Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná.
The program began in Brasília, with a meeting at the Secretariat of Agricultural Defense (SDA), which was attended by Secretary Carlos Goulart and the director of the Department of Animal Health, Marcelo Mota. From there, the Japanese technicians continued on to technical visits in different regions of the country.
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In Santa Catarina, the delegation was received by the Federal Superintendence of Agriculture (SFA/SC) and the Integrated Company for Agricultural Development of Santa Catarina (Cidasc), which presented the structure of the Official Veterinary Service (SVO) in the state. They also visited the Cidasc Local Veterinary Unit in Biguaçu, where they monitored field actions of animal health surveillance.
In Rio Grande do Sul, the agenda included the International Agricultural Surveillance Unit (Vigiagro), in the municipality of Uruguaiana, on the border with Argentina. On the occasion, the auditors learned about the Sentinel Program, aimed at active surveillance of diseases that pose a risk to animal health, developed by the state's Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Sustainable Production and Irrigation (Seagri-RS).
Activities in Paraná included visits to the regional and local offices of the SVO in Cascavel, as well as an audit at the headquarters of the Paraná Agricultural Defense Agency (Adapar). The mission ended with a meeting at the Federal Superintendence of Agriculture in Curitiba (SFA-PR), where additional information was provided on the country's health status, with emphasis on the National Surveillance Program for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (PNEFA).
The on-site audit is considered a strategic step in the risk analysis conducted by Japan and reinforces confidence in Brazilian health defense structures. The joint work between the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), state authorities and the production sector aims to consolidate Brazil as a qualified supplier of beef to the demanding Japanese market.
