Brazil continues to consolidate as a major player in the world’s poultry industry. Although domestic production may not seem to have developed that much, poultry exports are a cornerstone of this first place position. Let’s review some numbers.
The Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) has recently released the consolidated numbers of 2024 poultry exports. In terms of chicken exports, it was reported that there was a 3% increase in 2024, compared to the previous year. Brazil shipped 5.294 million metric tons (MMT) last year, compared to the 5.130 MMT in 2023. This is the highest volume exported by the Brazilian poultry industry ever. In terms of income, there was also a 1.3% increase year over year with a total of US$9.928 billion.
With a monthly average of over 440,000 metric tons (MT), the outlook for 2025 should see higher numbers. This means good profitability for exporting poultry companies.
In chicken meat export destinations, China, United Arab Emirates, Japan and other countries are on the top, but in the last few years Mexico has reached the top 10. With a 22.6% increase in 2024, Mexican imports totaled 212,500 MT, consolidating this Latin American nation as the eighth most important destination.
In terms of eggs and poultry genetics, results are mixed. We all know how complicated egg exports can be, mainly because of logistics, but also because they can be variable. And the amount is not as high as in chicken meat. In 2024, Brazil exported 18,469 MT of eggs, 27.3% less than in 2023. But I would highlight that Chile was the main importer, with 141.4% more than in 2023, or 6,871 MT. This is a fact that impacts local Chilean production that I blogged about last week.
Poultry genetics are becoming paramount for many countries. With a 2.8% increase in 2024, Brazil exported 27,229 MT of one-day-old chicks and fertile eggs. Once again, Mexico stands out now as the main importer, with 9,378 MT in 2024, although showing a 30.6% decrease compared to 2023. But other Latin American nations are in the top – Venezuela and Paraguay, with 3,909 MT and 2,634 MT, respectively. It must be highlighted that Venezuelan imports increased by 521.1% compared to 2023. Could it be a good sign for that country’s poultry industry?
What do you think?
