China OKs Costa Rican meat exports

Costa Rican beef and other dairy products will soon be sold in Chinese markets, following the approval by the Chinese government of exports from three Costa Rican meat processing companies, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Gloria Abraham said Sunday at the opening of “Expo San Carlos 2012,” an agriculture fair held in the province of Alajuela, northwest of San José.

Three meat processing plants, Coopemontecillos, GICO and El Arreo, meet China’s import requirements and have obtained certification to export to the Chinese market, Abraham said. Two more plants expect approval soon.

“[Costa Rica’s] beef an dairy industries face a horizon full of opportunities,” the minister said. The government will also support three new projects in the region, including the construction of a dairy plant, the creation of a fund to finance small and medium producers and the reactivation of agricultural machinery services in San Carlos.

Costa Rica and China signed a free trade agreement in 2010, paving the way for the elimination of tariffs on exports of Costa Rican coffee, meat, juice and other products.