Saudi Arabia halts Brazilian poultry from Santa Catarina; Malaysia stops buying from all of Brazil

Saudi Arabia, Brazil's third-largest chicken buyer, has suspended poultry meat and related products from Santa Catarina - the state that supplies 23.3 percent of Brazil's chicken exports - and Malaysia has stopped buying from Brazil altogether, tightening the near-term line on Brazilian product into the Gulf.

Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture confirmed the Saudi suspension on Wednesday 21 October, two days after Newcastle disease was confirmed at a commercial turkey farm in Nova Itaberaba, Santa Catarina, reported at around 6,000 birds. Malaysia went wider, suspending poultry meat, meat products and offal from the whole of Brazil, Valor International reported on 22 October 2026.

The volumes at stake are large. Saudi Arabia imported 397,200 tonnes of Brazilian chicken meat in 2025, close to 8 percent of Brazil's total chicken exports, and 137,500 tonnes of whole birds, 14 percent of Brazil's whole-chicken exports, according to the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA). Santa Catarina is Brazil's second-largest chicken-exporting state after Parana and accounted for 23.3 percent of national chicken exports in 2025.

• China went plant-level: Beijing suspended only the 14 Santa Catarina plants authorised to ship to China - five Aurora Coop sites, six Seara (JBS) sites and three MBRF sites - after narrowing its response within a day.
• Others went wider: Mexico stopped buying from all of Brazil; Chile restricted imports to Santa Catarina product.
• Timeline back to normal access: the ministry says Brazil can apply to WOAH for Newcastle-free status roughly 90 days after culling and disinfection are completed. ABPA says cargo can be redirected or stored in the meantime and that there is no surplus chicken in the world market.
• A separate EU file: EU imports of Brazilian animal products have been suspended since 3 September over antimicrobial-use rules, with the industry expecting a resumption in November.

For Gulf buyers the practical effect is a tighter short-term supply of Brazilian leg quarters and whole birds and more reason to look at plant-level documentation from alternative origins. Our frozen poultry comes from GACC-registered plants with halal and HACCP certification; each shipment carries halal, veterinary health and certificate of origin matched to the importing country's requirements, and we can clear cargo into Dubai or arrange onward movement. Specifications, packing and volumes on request at info@naufoodgroup.com.

Source: Valor International (Globo Rural), 21 and 22 October 2026, citing Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture and ABPA.