Japan halts poultry imports from second Brazilian state

Japan has temporarily suspended imports of chicken from Brazil's Santa Catarina state after the confirmation of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) case in a backyard chicken, Brazilian meat lobby ABPA said on Monday, creating a new headache for the country's meat processors.

Japan halted purchases of poultry from the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo last month after bird flu was confirmed at non-commercial farm there.

The Brazilian government later confirmed the ban, saying Agri Minister Carlos Favaro will discuss import requirements for poultry products with Japanese authorities during a trip to Japan next week.

ABPA, which represents pork and poultry processors, including JBS SA (JBSS3.SA) and BRF SA (BRFS3.SA), said monthly shipments of chicken from Santa Catarina plants to Japan represent less than 3% of the total exported by Brazil.

When Japan banned products from Espirito Santo, the lobby group said that stance was not "in line with the guidelines of the World Organization for Animal Health (WHOA)."

Bans, regional or national, would be applicable but only if the highly pathogenic virus reaches a commercial farm, and that has not happened in Brazil yet, according to authorities.

Brazil is the world's biggest chicken exporter. The country first confirmed outbreaks of HPAI among wild birds on May 15, and has since recorded dozens of similar outbreaks in at least seven states.

Santa Catarina is the country's second biggest chicken meat processor after Parana. All major Brazilian food exporters have plants in the state.

Espirito Santo, a major egg producer, was the first to report a bird flu case in wild birds about two months ago.

Reporting by Peter Frontini and Ana Mano; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Stephen Coates.