Brazilian chicken exports, including fresh and processed goods, amounted to 1.61 million tons from January to May this year, according to a survey by the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), which represents companies in the industry. The outcome corresponds to an 8.5% decline from the same period in 2017, when 1.75 tons were sold overseas.
In monetary figures, chicken sales abroad reached $2.602 billion from January to May 2018, a figure 12.3% lower than the $2.966 billion reported last year.
Poultry shipments headed for European Union (EU) member countries saw a 40% plunge in the period surveyed, ABPA data indicate. While the volume sold to the EU totaled 92.5 thousand tons in the first five months of the year, the amount had added up to 151.8 thousand in 2017.
These are the direct effects of the embargo imposed in April by the European Commission on animal protein—chiefly chicken—from at least 20 meatpacking plants in Brazil.
Considering May alone, with EU’s suspension already in force, a 4.7% reduction in overall exports was observed, with 333.2 thousand tons in May this year against 349.5 thousand in the same period last year. As for revenues, sales in the fifth month of 2018 stood at $517.6 million, down 13% from the 594.8 thousand registered in the month prior.
Strike
ABPA’s survey did not gauge the effect of the truck drivers’ strike, staged late in May, said ABPA President Francisco Turra, due to the methotology adopted by the Ministry of Development, Industry, and Trade.
Despite the fall in exports to Europe, Brazil posted a growth in sales to other countries, the association stated. Mexico, for instance, double the volume of meat purchased from Brazil. By May, 44.8 thousand tons had been exported, compared to last year’s 22.4 thousand.
Sales to China are reported to have surged 12%. “There was also a remarkable growth in shipments for Jordan, Yemen, South Africa, South Korea, and Chile, which helped reduce the lower performance seen in other markets,” said ABPA Executive Director Ricardo Santin.
