Brazil sets record for egg production and livestock slaughter
Brazilian agriculture ended 2024 with record figures for egg production and the slaughter of cattle, chickens, and pigs. Considering livestock alone, cattle slaughter last year surged 15.2 percent from 2023. The data were released this week by the statistics bureau IBGE.
In 2024, 39.27 million head of cattle were slaughtered—5.17 million more than in 2023. The last time Brazil slaughtered such a large number of cattle was in 2013—34.41 million.
The 2024 record, the survey says, is explained by the large number of females slaughtered (a record 16.9 million head, 19 percent more than in 2023). This number was driven “by a low phase in the livestock cycle initiated in 2022.”
Mato Grosso stands atop the state ranking for cattle slaughter last year, with 18.1 percent of the national share, followed by Goiás (10.2%) and São Paulo (10.2%).
Exports
Survey Manager Angela Lordão pointed out that the domestic demand for meat is attributable to the “strengthening of the domestic economy, improved employment and income conditions, and the lower unemployment rate,” i.e. factors that give the people greater purchasing power.
At the same time, she noted, “the international demand for meat has also grown significantly.”
“Brazil occupies the top positions in the ranking of meat-producing and -exporting countries, due to our strict health standards,” she said.
Last year, 2.55 million tons of beef were exported, as per official data.
A study released last week by the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) points out that international demand has pushed up the price of meat in Brazil.
China was the main destination for Brazilian beef, importing 52 percent of the total volume sent abroad—up 10.6 percent.
The US came second, with 7.4 percent of Brazil’s exports. The country almost doubled (+93.8%) its purchases of Brazilian beef from one year to the next. Next up are the United Arab Emirates and Chile as the main buyers.
Chicken
Chicken slaughter reached 6.46 billion head in 2024, an increase of 2.7 percent on the previous year. This represents a surge of 172.73 million from one year to the next.
The three Southern states rank first in chicken slaughter, with Paraná leading the way with 34.2 percent, followed by Santa Catarina (13.8%) and Rio Grande do Sul (11.4%).
Of all the chickens slaughtered in Brazil, 65 percent is consumed domestically. The remaining 35 percent is sold overseas, making the country the world’s largest chicken producer. China, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, and Saudi Arabia are the top destinations for Brazilian chicken.
Pork
Pig slaughter was also a record, with 57.86 million head. Compared to 2023, the 1.2 percent expansion represents 684,24 thousand more in 2024 than in 2023.
As with chicken slaughter, the South stands atop the ranking. Santa Catarina takes the lead with 29.1 percent of Brazil’s slaughter, followed by Paraná (21.5 percent) and Rio Grande do Sul (17.1 percent).
Lordão reported that 2024 was doubly favorable for pork producers. “It was a good year for pig farming, with a better margin for producers. The price of meat went up, and feed costs were lower,” she noted.
China and the Philippines are Brazil’s chief pork buyers, both accounting for more than 18 percent of total exports.
According to the foreign trade secretariat, both pork and chicken exports saw record highs in 2024.
Last quarter
Despite record figures for the year, the slaughter of cattle, chickens, and pigs fell in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the third quarter.
In the case of cattle, the drop was 7.9 percent. For chickens, the drop was 1.1 percent, and for pigs 4.6 percent.
Eggs
In 2024, chicken egg production was also a record. The volume reached 4.67 billion dozen, up 10 percent from the previous year.
In the fourth quarter, the production of chicken eggs reached 1.2 billion, up 0.2 percent on the third quarter.
The data make the last quarter of 2024 the three-month span in which the most chicken eggs were produced in Brazil in the time series, which began in 1987.
“Throughout 2024, the poultry sector was boosted by price hikes linked to other proteins, with heated domestic and foreign demand,” IBGE stated.
Of all the eggs produced in 2024, 82.1 percent were destined for consumption and 17.9 percent for incubation.
