IMI Global Receives Visit of the Vice-Governor of Santa Catarina and His Delegation to Discuss PVP Services and Data Base

Castle Rock, CO, December 19, 2007 --(PR.com)-- HLS LVBP announced today that Leonel Arcangelo Pavan, Lieutenant Governor of the Santa Catarina State, Valmir Comin (State Deputy), Vinicius Lummertz Silva (Secretary Foreign Affairs Office), Iara Crsitina Romanovitch (Consultant of Strategic Affairs), and Dr. Jacir Pamplona (Owner-Director of Riosulense Packing Plant), have spent a two-day visit at their office. All the arrangements for the delegation's visit were coordinated by Lic. Hector L Salaverria (President of HLS Veterinay Biological Products Inc., IMI Global Representative for Brazil) and Prof. Luis C. Zamborlini (Genetica Sys Id, IMI Global Agent in Brazil).

Santa Catarina is the only state of Brazil that has acquired the recognition of the OIE (International Epizooties Organization) as free of FMD (Foot & Mouth Disease) without vaccination.

IMI Global was requested to provide its technical assistance to implement on behalf of the State of Santa Catarina a proposal to the USDA for the Unverified Supply Verified Program (a supplier evaluation and re-evaluation process meeting the requirements for the USDA Process Verified Program and USDA QSA Program), age and source verified cattle that would be maintained on the IMI Data Base.

Santa Catarina has started their cattle ID and will initially target cattle intended for export to the USA and foreign markets and the PVP will enhance their livestock producers and meat marketers with a complete system for food safety and quality, in line with consumers’ expectations and demands.

Hector Salaverria commented, “This is a significant advance because Santa Catarina cattle producers targeting beef production for the European Union under the SISBOV (Brazilian Identification and Certification System of Bovine and Bubaline Origin), who reside in a foot and mouth disease-free state, offering the utmost guarantee of free disease risk in relation to other neighbors, cattle producers and meat exporters like Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay who still have to follow FMD vaccination.

Santa Catarina has a cattle population of nearly 3.5 million and 6.2 million swine (20% of the entire country production) and as well exports 20% cattle annually. Food safety requirements which were prompted by recent outbreaks of foot and mouth disease have require to urgently establish measures and procedures to certify the origin, health status, production and safety for the beef supply.

After evaluating the future alternatives, Leonel Pavan commented, “We are confident that IMI Global services, working jointly with the Santa Catarina Livestock Health organizations (CISDAC) and SADR (Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development), will meet the USDA AMS requirements.

We are also very interested in the Rancher to the Retailer, to command a Higher Price for the grass feed (carne in natura) that our ranchers are in a condition to supply to the American market.

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