Brazil renews poultry export highs in 2023

Brazil shipped just over 5 million tonnes of poultry products in 2023, which is 6.6% more than in 2022. Photo: Supplied

Brazilian chicken meat exports – including all products, both fresh and processed – registered a new high in 2023 with over 5 million tonnes sold to 5 continents.

The country shipped a total of 5.138 million tonnes of poultry products last year, according to the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA). The number shows an increase of 6.6% compared to the total exported in 2022 at 4.822 million tonnes.

In revenue, the year’s increase was 0.4%, with a total of US$9.796 billion accumulated in 2023 against US$9.762 billion in the same period of 2022.

Good numbers in December

The performance was consolidated with the result achieved in December. In total, 467,200 tonnes of chicken meat was exported in December, which is 20.9% higher than that recorded in December 2022 (386,300 tonnes). It was the second-largest volume shipped in a single month in the history of the sector, surpassed only by the 514,600 tonnes exported in March 2023.

As a result, revenue generated by exports in December totaled US$818.9 million, 4.3% higher than the US$785 million obtained in the same period in 2022.

Brazil's Paraná state is the country's largest exporter of chicken meat followed by Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo.

According to the president of ABPA, Ricardo Santin, the result is highly positive: “Furthermore, it confirms the projections outlined by ABPA for the year, while at the same time indicating the export trend that we should observe throughout 2024. For the first time we surpassed the mark of 5 million tones exported.”

He added: “In this context, the good news released at the end of 2023 brings expectations of sustained movement in international sales, whether concerning consolidated markets or even with the opening of new ones.”

Paraná state leads

As the largest exporter of chicken meat in Brazil, Paraná shipped 2.087 million tonnes in 2023 – a number that exceeds the total exported in the previous year by 9.69%.

Next are Santa Catarina (1.103 million tonnes, up 8.48%), Rio Grande do Sul (739,000 tonnes, down 2.13%), São Paulo (292,600 tonnes, up 6.32%) and Goiás (236,800 tonnes, up 21.3%).

“In the year in which we recorded the first outbreak of avian influenza in wild birds in Brazil, the results obtained through exports attest to the world’s confidence in the excellent work in biosecurity carried out by companies in the sector, with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and the secretariats state and municipal agriculture, which allowed the country to remain free from avian influenza,” Santin concluded.

Poultry product destinations

In December, Japan took the lead as the main destination for chicken meat exports from Brazil, with 55,900 tonnes imported, a volume 53.9% higher than the total recorded in the same period in 2022.

In second place, China imported 50,900 tonnes (+8.5%) followed by the United Arab Emirates (44,300 tonnes, up 27%), Saudi Arabia (39,500 tonnes, up 56.3%) and South Africa (31,200 tonnes, up 10.8%).

“There was a general increase in chicken meat imports by the main destinations of our products, which justifies the record performance for December,” highlights ABPA’s markets director, Luís Rua.