Brazilian herds of cattle and pigs reached record figures in 2021, according to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
The cattle herd stood at 224.6 million heads last year, the highest number in the historical series started in 1974 and the third consecutive annual increase. In relation to 2020, there was a 3.1% growth.
The pig herd reached a total of 42.5 million animals in 2021, 3.2% higher than the figures of 2020 and also a record.
Pig production last year was marked by a historic increase in input costs.
“It was a challenging scenario for producers, especially independent ones, but the swine slaughter grew, and the pork exports continued increasing, reaching records in volume and revenue”, says Mariana Oliveira, analyst responsible for the research.