Beef: slaughter increased 24.6% in the 1st quarter of 2024

Fernando de Aquino, member of the Economic Policy Commission of the Federal Economic Council (Cofecon) states that this was an “impressive” growth, and points out factors that contributed to the result.

“It is mainly explained by the issue of the beef cycle. It is a cycle of several years in Brazil, around 8 years, and we are at the peak of the beef herd in the country. So this leads to an increase in the supply of beef, which was made possible by a consistent demand due to the moment we are going through, with high employment and real wages”, he informs.

The research shows that the slaughter of 1.84 million more heads of cattle in the 1st quarter of 2024, compared to the same period of the previous year, was driven by increases in 23 of the 27 Federation Units (UFs), with emphasis on:

• Mato Grosso (+420.07 thousand heads)
• Goiás (+263.41 thousand heads)
• São Paulo (+219.41 thousand heads)
• Minas Gerais (+206.49 thousand heads)
• Pará (+180.04 thousand heads)
• Rondônia (+155.75 thousand heads)
• Mato Grosso do Sul (+110.36 thousand heads)
• Bahia (+58.08 thousand heads)
• Paraná (+46.73 thousand heads)

Pigs and chickens

Furthermore, the research reveals that in the first quarter of 2024, there was a 1.6% drop in pig slaughter and a 1.2% decrease in chicken slaughter compared to the same period in 2023.

In relation to the fourth quarter of 2023, there was a 1.4% drop in pig slaughter and a 4.0% increase in chicken slaughter. Regarding the acquisition of milk, 6.21 billion liters were purchased, representing an increase of 3.3% compared to the first quarter of 2023 and a drop of 4.4% compared to the previous quarter.

Pedro Afonso Gomes, president of the Regional Economic Council of the state of São Paulo (Corecon-SP), highlights that it is “interesting” to think about the price of these products for the end consumer.

“The price of beef was very high in 2022. The price of pork was much lower, and also that of chicken. So, when consumers were faced with this dilemma of not having the resources to buy beef every day, even though it was their preference, they opted for pork and chicken”, he points out.

He explains that when there is greater consumption, there is also greater production.

Expectations

In the coming months, Gomes points out that beef should continue to show positive results.

“If Brazil manages to place this meat on the foreign market, it will supply both the domestic market, here in the country, and the international market, which also needs good quality meat”, he concludes.

Gomes highlights that he expects a positive outlook for producers who raise cattle, pigs and chicken flocks.

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