The meat sector had a record volume of exports in 2019. The association that represents meat exporting slaughterhouses (Abiec), said this Tuesday (10), that the country exported 1.83 million tons; an increase of 11.3% compared to the performance of 2018. The international market reached a historic share of 25% of the total produced by the production chain in Brazil.
According to the president of the Parliamentary Agricultural Front (FPA), Alceu Moreira (MDB-RS), the increase in revenue from shipments to the Asian market was driven by beef, chicken and pork, which generated US$ 1.6 billion, 22 .1% more than the same period in 2018. “Exports to the outside world are making the agricultural economy in Brazil viable. A cattle rancher who kept his cattle on pasture (2 hectares) for 4 years to carry out the slaughter, now with more income he can do the same management in two years – in a space of 6 square meters on the property,” he explained.
Moreira says that the prices of animal protein in 2020 should decrease in relation to October and November, when it registered a historic high of 34.04% in the month and the price of an arroba of beef reached R$ 228.80, but it should continue to rise in relation to the period of January and September – when meat had been without an increase for more than 10 years. “It won’t stay at the levels seen at times of greater fluctuation (October and November), but it won’t return to the prices it was before. The price of meat will find a balance point”, he added.
“There is no point in holding back all inflation, having cheap food and therefore having to put producers in debt to manage the herd. We are experiencing a moment of growth in Brazilian agriculture and we need income, with this there will be more meat on the consumer's table and the impact will go as far as strengthening the foot of the pyramid (agriculture) with an increase in the GDP indices of the country's economy, ” concluded the deputy.
China pulls good performance – in the accumulated period between January and November, Brazil exported 410,444 tons to the Asian country – an increase of 39.5% in relation to that recorded in the same period of 2018. “China pulled the line of good performance, Brazil sent animal protein to 154 countries,” said Antônio Jorge Camardelli, president of Abiec.
In 2019, for every 100 kilograms of Brazilian meat shipped abroad, 24.5 kilograms went to the Chinese. In terms of revenue, the increase was 59.75%, reaching US$ 2.171 billion. “The increase intensified from October onwards and has to do, in part, with the health problem that affected pig farming in the country,” emphasized Camardelli.
Exports in 2020 – Abiec's projection for next year is that export volumes will increase by 13% and thus reach 2.067 million tons. Revenue could grow by 15%, with revenue of US$ 8.5 billion.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, 13 more Brazilian meat processing plants will be authorized in the country in November to sell meat to the international market. Five beef plants, five pork plants and three poultry plants were enabled. “We have everything to deliver our production to the world,” said the minister, Tereza Cristina.
The five pork slaughterhouses are in Rio Grande do Sul, in addition to a beef unit. São Paulo and Mato Grosso each had two units authorized by the Chinese. The other meatpacking plants that can export to China are in Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul and Paraná.
