Brazilian poultry exports had in February the best result ever recorded for the second month of the year, with 97.7 thousand tons (fresh and processed). The number represents an increase of 4.7% in the annual comparison, according to the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA).
The president of ABPA, Ricardo Santin, stated that “it was the best month of February in history and could have been even better, under normal conditions, without the delays generated by the standard operation currently underway”. Santin refers to the mobilization of federal agricultural tax auditors, who demand salary increases and career restructuring.
Revenue from Brazilian chicken meat exports in February totaled USD 707 million, 4% lower than in the same month in 2023.
In January and February 2024, Brazil exported 802.2 thousand tons of chicken meat, 0.3% more than in the same period in 2023. Revenue generated from exports fell 12.7% in the first two months, for USD 1.39 billion.
The highlights during the period were shipments from the United Arab Emirates, which increased its purchases of Brazilian poultry by 27.7% in the first two months of the year (to 78.2 thousand tons), and Saudi Arabia, which acquired an 8.4% larger volume (67.6 thousand tons). Other markets in the region also stood out due to the approach of Ramadan, the holy month in the Islamic calendar.
“The beginning of the year is a period strongly influenced by the flow of pre-Ramadan imports, the sacred period for the Islamic religion,” said ABPA Markets Director, Luis Rua. “In this context, in addition to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, we saw notable growth in exports to Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait and other destinations in the region, especially in a context of uncertainty due to conflicts,” he said.
Paraná continued as the largest exporter of poultry in Brazil, with 326.4 thousand tons exported in the first two months, a drop of 0.1% in the annual comparison.