Brazil’s livestock slaughter increased 4.6% in the third quarter of 2009, in comparison with the previous three-month period. There was also growth, of 1%, compared with the same period of last year. In total, 7.216 million heads of cattle were slaughtered from July to September 2009.
The data are part of the Quarterly Animal Slaughter Survey, issued last month by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). According to the document, the result “confirms expectations of the industry’s recovery,” which started in the second quarter this year, after a sequence of retractions that started in the third quarter of 2007 was interrupted.
The increased slaughter of livestock, according to the document, occurred due to increased domestic market consumption. “In the third quarter, large beef industry groups purchased plants that had been shut down due to the international crisis, mainly in the states of Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso,” according to the text.
Mato Grosso remains the leading producing state in the country, accounting for 15.4% of slaughters in the country. Next on the list are São Paulo (12.2%) and Mato Grosso do Sul (10.9%).
According to the document issued by the IBGE, chicken slaughters have also recovered and grew 8.5% over the figure recorded in the previous quarter. In comparison with the period ranging from July to September 2008, there was growth of 1.4%. In the third quarter of this year, 1.267 billion chickens were slaughtered. Activity was stronger in the South Region (60.5%), and the state of Paraná remained in the lead (26.1%).
The survey also reveals that swine slaughter grew both in comparison with the previous six-month period (10.4%) and with the previous quarter (6.8%), and totaled 8.103 million animals. The result consolidates the product’s trend of growth, even in a year of financial crisis and with the emergence of the influenza A (H1N1) – swine flu.
Activity concentrated in the South Region (68.2%), mainly in the state of Santa Catarina (27.7%). The state of Paraná, however, was the state in which swine slaughter grew the most: 293,703 animals more than in the third quarter of 2008.
Data concerning milk purchases and milk processing show that industrial plants bought 4.898 billion liters in the third quarter of 2009. The result is 4.7% higher than recorded in the same period of 2008, and 14.1% higher than in the second quarter of last year. Minas Gerais was the state that purchased the largest amount (26% of the total).
Chicken egg production totaled 637.064 million dozens. There was growth of 10.5% compared with the same period of 2008, and of 9.7% compared with the previous quarter. The state of São Paulo remains at the forefront of production, having accounted for 32.3% of the total.
The survey also shows that there was growth of 5.2% in purchases of raw bovine leather compared with the same period of 2008. In comparison with the previous quarter, there was growth of 11.8%. In all, 9.121 million units were bought from July to September. Together, the states of São Paulo, Mato Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso do Sul purchased 58.1% of the total.
Poultry and Sustainability
The Brazilian Poultry Exporters Association (Abef) announced that it is going to expand its promotion actions abroad in 2010. The objective, according to the organization, is to promote “the differentials of sustainability, quality and sanitary aspects of Brazilian poultry.”
Among the actions forecasted is the promotion of workshops in partnership with the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil). The president at Abef, Francisco Turra, informed, according to a press statement by the association, that the organization is, for example, going to mark presence in the South Africa World Cup, to take place in 2010.
In January, according to the press statement, the Abef should participate in the International Poultry Expo, to take place in Atlanta, in the United States. According to Turra, Brazilian poultry farming is fully prepared in what concerns sustainability and sanitary aspects.
