Beef exports from Santa Catarina exceed revenues of US$ 1.6 billion

Exports from the meat sector in Santa Catarina generated more than US$ 1.69 billion in the first five months of this year, an increase of 18.5% in relation to the same period last year. From January to May 2023, 749.2 thousand tons of meat were exported, an increase of 10.4% compared to the previous year. The data were released by the Ministry of Economy and analyzed by the Center for Socioeconomics and Agricultural Planning (Epagri/CEPA).

In May, Santa Catarina exported 149.1 thousand tons of meat, including chicken, pork, turkey, duck, ducks and cattle, which represents an increase of 10.4% compared to the same month last year. Revenues reached US$ 351.3 million, an increase of 3.8% compared to April and 10.8% when compared to May 2022.

For Fernando Iglesias, an analyst at Safras & Mercado and a specialist in the meat sector, poultry and pork are the main highlights of Santa Catarina. Therefore, a good result in exports was expected. “Swine farming and poultry farming in Santa Catarina are extremely developed. In pig farming, Santa Catarina is the main producer in Brazil and is a major exporter of pork. So it’s natural that it gets a lot of export revenue. The same is valid for poultry: Santa Catarina is the second largest exporter of chicken meat in Brazil”, he explains.

Challenges

According to socioeconomic and rural development analyst at Epagri/Cepa, Alexandre Giehl, although animal production is extremely important for Santa Catarina, there was a small drop in participation in the state’s total agricultural production value (VPA). In 2021, production was 60.4% and dropped to 58.6% in 2022. “This drop is mainly due to two factors. Firstly, the reduction in the value of pork production, which had a drop of 3.1% between the 21st and 22nd, due to the drop in the average price of live hogs in that period. And secondly, to the increase in the value of crop production due, mainly, to the improvement in the price paid for grains last year.”

For Fernando Iglesias, the biggest challenge for Santa Catarina would be opening new markets and seeking alternatives to diversify sales and achieve an even better market in terms of exports.

Expectations

According to Giehl, for 2023, the expectation is that there will be an increase in the production of the main livestock products in Santa Catarina: pigs, chicken and milk. However, the final result of the VPA will depend on the behavior of prices, which remain under pressure and should present some downward movements in the second half.

Iglesias, on the other hand, points out that in the coming years Santa Catarina should maintain a high production of these proteins and a billing capacity. He also informs that although the real is devalued, it is still a great deal.

Aves

Chicken meat (in natura and industrialized) from Santa Catarina reached an import of 88.3 thousand tons in May 2023, an increase of 1.5% compared to the previous month and 8.2% compared to May 2022. The state was responsible for 23.4% of revenue generated by Brazilian exports of chicken meat in the first five months of the year.

swine

In May, exports of pork (in natura, industrialized and offal) from Santa Catarina reached 54.0 thousand tons, an increase of 16.1% compared to May 2022. Revenues reached US$ 139.5 million, increase of 24.1% in relation to the same month last year.

From January to May, Santa Catarina exported 260.7 thousand tons of pork, generating revenues of US$ 643.6 million. These numbers represent growth of 14.0% and 27.0%, respectively, compared to the same period of the previous year. The state was still responsible for 55.1% of the quantity and 56.5% of the revenues from Brazilian pork exports this year.