Cattle slaughter reached 6.96 million head and grew once again in the first quarter of 2022, after two years of drops compared with the same period a year ago. That amount represents an increase of 5.5% against the first quarter of 2021, though it remained virtually stable against the fourth quarter.

The data are from the Statistics of Livestock Production, released today (8) by the IBGE, which also show that the slaughter of 13.64 million head of hogs and pigs was a record for a first quarter, and that of chicken dropped, both in the annual comparison and in the quarterly comparison, yet it represents the second best first quarter of the time series started in 1997, with 1.55 billion head.

Bernardo Viscardi, supervisor of the survey, explains that the increase in cattle was influenced by the higher slaughter of females, which were being saved by producers for breeding, due to the appreciation in the prices of calves. “In addition, there was a record in the exports of beef in the first quarter,” adds him.

They were more 361.75 thousand head in relation to the same period of 2021, in which São Paulo (+92.79 thousand head) increased more significantly. Mato Grosso remains leading cattle slaughter, with 16.1% of the national share, followed by Mato Grosso do Sul (11.3%) and São Paulo (11.0%).

Slaughter of hogs and pigs hits record for a first quarter

As a replacement for beef, the slaughter of hogs and pigs tended to increase, hitting a record first quarter in 2022. “Coupled with that record, exports dropped in comparison with the same period last year, which increased the supply in the domestic market. The increase in the supply in a scenario of weak demand caused by the lower purchasing power of families contributed to the drop in the prices paid to producers in the annual comparison,” explains Viscadi.

13.64 million head of hogs and pigs were slaughtered in the first quarter of 2022, representing an increase of 7.2% in relation to the same period in 2021 and of 1.5% over the fourth quarter of 2021.

They were more 920.43 thousand head of hogs and pigs in relation to the same period of 2021, with the highest increase in Paraná (+229.39 thousand). Santa Catarina is the major producer, with 28.1% of the national share.

Chicken slaughter drops in relation to Q1 2021

In the first quarter of 2022, 1.55 billion chicken head were slaughtered, accounting for a drop of 1.7% against the same period in 2021 and of 0.2% in relation to the fourth quarter of 2021.

“That drop is a matter of regulation of the production chain of chicken.  The demand in this sector remains warm due to the accessibility of the protein and rising exports, though the increase in cost inhibited the expansion of the activity. As the production cycle of chicken is short, nearly 45 days, it is possible to adjust the supply to the demand easier,” explains Viscadi.

Of the total less 27.25 million head of chicken in the first quarter of 2022 in relation to the same period in the previous year, the biggest drop occurred in Rio Grande do Sul (-9.97 million). Paraná extensively leads chicken slaughter, with 33.5% of the national share.

The same happened in relation to the production of hen eggs. Having produced 977.20 million dozens, it was 2.0% below the estimate of the first quarter last year and 2.5% below that compiled in the fourth quarter of 2021. “Costs increased and the chain had been reducing the output, due to the difficulty to pass them on to final consumers,” states the supervisor.

Despite the retraction in the annual comparison, that is the second best result measured for a first quarter, considering the time series started in 1987.

Milk acquisition has record drop (-9.3%) against previous quarter

The acquisition of raw milk by establishments under some kind of sanitary inspection (federal, state or municipal) also dropped. In the first quarter of 2022, acquisition of raw milk amounted to 5.90 billion liters, a decrease of 10.3% in relation to the first quarter of 2021 and a drop of 9.3% in relation to the immediately previous quarter, the highest one in the time series.

Less 678.01 million liters of milk were acquired between the first quarter of 2021 and that of 2022.  The greatest reductions were registered in Goiás (-160.15 million liters), Minas Gerais (-158.73 million liters) and Rio Grande do Sul (-100.77 million liters). Minas Gerais still led the ranking of milk acquisition, with 25.5% of the national acquisition.

IBGE releases “Price of raw milk paid to producers” as experimental statistics

The IBGE also released today the price of raw milk paid to producers within the scope of the Quarterly Survey of Milk.  In the first quarter of 2022, the average price per liter reached R$2.14 at national level. In the equivalent quarter in 2019, it stayed at R$1.36. In 2020, it had been R$1.38 and, in 2021, R$1.90.

Since 2019, the survey questionnaire adopted a consultation to the enterprises about the average price paid, monthly, by the raw material acquired (raw milk, cooled or not).   Since the, the variable investigated was used only internally to provide material for collection and data editing of the Municipal Livestock Survey (PPM).  Click here to access the tables.

More about the survey

The survey investigates information on the number of slaughtered animals and the total weight of carcasses, by species of cattle (oxen, cows, steers and heifers), hogs and pigs, and chicken, having as collection units establishments that slaughter animals under federal, state or municipal sanitary inspection.  The survey is released every quarter and  data are presented every month for each quarter of the civil year.

As of the first quarter of 2018, in response to users’ needs for timely information on livestock, the IBGE started releasing "First Results" of the Quarterly Survey of Animal Slaughter for Brazil, as a provisional solution.  These data are available nearly one month ahead the release of the "Complete Results”. The complete data can be accessed on Sidra