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World Chicken Day, celebrated today (10/05), was launched by the International Poultry Council (IPC), the highest body for international poultry farming, to promote and highlight the production chain. The date has been celebrated for more than a decade by all member countries of the IPC, which brings together poultry farming at an international level. Check out some information about chicken production and consumption below.
And speaking of production, Brazil recently assumed the position of second largest producer of chicken meat in the world. Last year, more than 14.5 thousand tons were produced. There is a lot of protein on the Brazilian table. After all, of the total produced, 66.8% are destined for the domestic market.
And speaking of production, Brazil recently assumed the position of second largest producer of chicken meat in the world. Last year, more than 14.5 thousand tons were produced. There is a lot of protein on the Brazilian table. After all, of the total produced, 66.8% are destined for the domestic market.
Poultry farming is also one of the drivers of employment and income for the country – including in regions far from large centers. The chicken meat production stages involve around 4 million direct and indirect workers, which generates around 500,000 jobs in agro-industries, in addition to 100,000 families producing on farms.
As it is a light, healthy, versatile and affordable protein, chicken meat has gained more and more prominence on Brazilian tables in recent years. In 2022, average consumption registered 45.2 kg per inhabitant. A significant increase, when compared to consumption recorded in 1986, when each Brazilian consumed, on average, 10kg of food per year.
This major evolution in the poultry farming scenario is also associated with the science and technology applied in the Brazilian poultry model, which is a global reference in productivity.
In the past, chickens needed up to 105 days to reach slaughter weight and 3.5 kg of feed were needed for every 1 kg of weight gain. Today, the chicken completes the growth cycle in 40 days, and consumes 1.6kg of feed for every 1kg of weight gain.
The advance in chicken productivity is due to a set of factors, including environment, genetics and nutrition. The structure of the facilities provides a controlled environment, which provides ideal conditions for the development of birds, with low levels of thermal stress and weight gain. Furthermore, advances in genetic research aimed at sustainable weight gains, along with studies related to animal nutrition, were paramount. This means the chicken is more productive and healthier.
Now let's talk about the product! Did you know that Tryptophan, found in abundance in poultry meat, also plays a role in the production of melatonin, which helps regulate sleep patterns, niacin or vitamin B-3 and nicotinamide also known as vitamin B-6. See the table for the amount of Tryptophan that can be found in a 100g portion of some foods.
Furthermore, chicken meat is among the most complete foods in terms of nutrients necessary for a healthy diet. They are important sources of protein, essential amino acids and vitamins, with a low fat content. To give you an idea, in a 100g portion of chicken meat, 28g of protein, 9.8mg of vitamins and only 5.8g of fat are consumed. In other words, in addition to being tasty, it is nutritious and very healthy.
Source: Notícias Agrícolas
