US exporters have been successfully exporting almost $40 million worth of chicken and turkey meat and products annually to Chile since 2008 and the addition of duck meat rounds out the selection.

As a result of negotiations that ended with the publication in the Chilean National Gazette in January 2008 of Resolution 441 Chile recognised the USDA Inspection and Control System for only two species of poultry: chicken and turkey. In April 2012, members of the US Poultry and Egg Association asked FAS to open the market for duck meat.

Chile’s Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) had two conditions to consider before expanding the market: the first of them, to review the Inspection and Control System for ducks and duck meat and evaluate the differences, if any, with the sanitary and slaughter system for chicken and turkey. The second was to evaluate the HACCP process for ducks.

On July 6, 2012, the Ag Attaché sent a formal request to SAG to reconsider the definition for poultry to include duck in addition to chicken and turkey. After a lengthy deliberation, on October 8, 2012 SAG published the National Gazette resolution 5851/2012 that derogates resolution 441/2008 and includes duck in the definition of poultry (Chilean norm CFR 9).

Market size and opportunities

Even if Chile is an interesting market for chicken and turkey, with a consumption of about 84 lbs per capita per year. For duck meat or duck meat products the market is different. Chileans consider duck to be a gourmet product. There is a small Chinese population that commonly eats duck meat.

The Ministry of Agriculture has some small farmer programs to promote duck breeding for this niche market. According to the results of their experience and the market development since 2005, the demand can reach 60 tons a year, about $380 thousand and almost all of the production is consumed at restaurants in Santiago. Post recommends that US duck exporters link with Chilean firms that target the reatail market that is available to your average Chilean.

On Friday, November 23, 2013 FAS/FSIS/APHIS and the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture finished negotiating the certificate language to export frozen/chilled poultry meat that includes duck. The FSIS Export Library was updated the same day to reflect the opening of this new market.

Even if the market is small, it is a new opportunity for US duck producers and exporters.