Livestock production
Slaughter of chicken and of hogs and pigs up in Q4 2020
February 11, 2021 09h00 AM | Last Updated: February 11, 2021 11h53 AM
The fourth quarter of 2020 saw an increase in the slaughter of hogs and pigs and chickens, compared to the same period in 2019. There were 12.10 million head of hogs and pigs slaughtered, an increase of 1.6% over the previous year, but with a decrease of 4.7% compared to the third quarter of 2020. As for chickens, 1.55 billion head were slaughtered, a result that represents 5.5% more than the fourth quarter of 2019 and 2.5% higher than the previous quarter.
On the other hand, cattle slaughter fell in relation to the previous quarter and in the annual comparison: 7.25 million cattle head, down 10.3% against the fourth quarter of 2019 and 5.8% against the third quarter 2020.
The data are from the Livestock Production Statistics: First results, released today (11) by the IBGE. The complete results, including data for the end of 2020 and for the Federation Units, will be released on March 18, 2021.
The production of cattle carcasses was 1.96 million metric tons, registering a decrease of 6.5% in relation to the fourth quarter of 2019 and of 4.6% in comparison with the third quarter of 2020. The cumulative weight of the carcasses of hogs and pigs was 1.08 million metric tons, an increase of 1.7% against the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 7.8% in comparison with the previous quarter. In terms of chicken carcasses, the cumulative weight was 3.57 million metric tons, an increase of 5.2% in relation to the fourth quarter of 2019 and 2.5% compared to the third quarter of 2020.
Milk acquisition increases, while egg production falls
The survey also shows that the purchase of raw milk made by establishments that operate under some type of health inspection (federal, state or municipal) was 6.71 billion liters. The result reveals an increase of 0.6% compared to what was registered in the fourth quarter of 2019 and 4.1% compared to the third quarter of 2020.
The production of hen eggs was 977 million dozen, down 1.5% over the same period last year and down 3.4% compared to the third quarter of 2020.
The Quarterly Survey of Leather, which investigates tanneries that tan at least 5,000 whole units of raw cowhide a year, shows that establishments reported having received 7.5 million whole pieces of rawhide in the fourth quarter of 2020 - a drop of 3.9% compared to the fourth quarter of 2019 and a decrease of 8.5% compared to the previous quarter.
