Minerva Foods’ Chief Financial Officer, Edison Ticle, believes Brazil faces two structural problems: logistics and taxation. Ticle noted that the company suffered significantly during the container crisis, given that the meatpacker exports 70% of its frozen beef production. “It’s striking how Brazil’s logistics framework is by far the worst. I’m not comparing it to the United States, but rather to Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Colombia, and Chile,” he said.
“This is, by far, the most expensive and least efficient option. What did we try to do? Since we depend heavily on ports, we decided to move a bit away from Santos and the southern region, attempting to develop some alternatives further north,” he explained.
The executive highlighted the challenges facing Minerva’s tax department in different countries, pointing out the structural disparities between Brazil and other markets. “In Minerva’s tax department in Brazil, I have between 150 and 200 people, whereas in Paraguay I have three. The same goes for Argentina, where we have five or six people, and in Uruguay, just two,” he said, according to Money Times.
