Cattle slaughter increased by 11.9%, slaughter of hogs and pigs grew by 5.0% and chicken slaughter rose by 0.9% in this third quarter of 2022, compared to the same period of the previous year. As a result, slaughter of hogs and pigs reached the highest level in the time series, which began in 1997.

The production of hen eggs also broke the record for the series, reaching 1.02 billion dozen. This is what the Livestock Production Statistics, released today (07) by the IBGE, shows. Compared to the second quarter of 2022, increases were 6.3% for beef slaughter, 2.4% for the slaughter of hogs and pigs and 3.1% for chicken slaughter.

“With less beef on the domestic market, due to rising exports and slaughter levels still below those observed between 2017 and 2019, consumers end up looking for alternative proteins”, explains Bernardo Viscardi, survey supervisor. “Given this scenario, the slaughter of hogs and pigs and chickens reached expressive numbers in the third quarter”, he adds.

7.85 million head of cattle were slaughtered in this third quarter. August was the month of greatest activity, with 2.69 million head (5.8% above the equivalent month of 2021), while September had the lowest activity in the quarter, with 2.56 million slaughtered head. “The positive change of 32.3% compared to September of last year is due, to a large extent, to the Chinese embargo on Brazilian beef in force between September and December 2021 due to two atypical cases of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy”, comments Mr. Viscardi .

Slaughter generated 2.13 million metric tons of carcasses, an increase of 11.6% compared to the same period in 2021 and 9.6% compared to the amount obtained in the previous quarter. The Central-West region had the highest proportion of cattle slaughter in the period, 36.9% of the total, followed by the Southeast (22.7%), North (20.3%), South (11.6%) and Northeast (8.5%).

Brazilian exports of fresh beef accumulated 573.46 thousand metric tons, which represents 34.9% of the equivalent weight of carcasses produced in this period. This amount is the best result for a quarter, considering the time series started in 1997. This level represents an increase of 7.4% in the volume exported compared to the third quarter of 2021. In relation to the previous quarter, there was an increase of 24 .0% in export volume, followed by an 18.6% increase in revenue.

Hogs and pigs record the highest level in the series and chicken slaughter sets a record for the 3rd quarter

With regard to hogs and pigs, the best slaughter results were registered for the months of July, August and September (14.45 million head), providing the highest quarterly level in the time series since the survey was started in 1997. Record exports registered in the period (288.55 thousand metric tons) contributed to the production flow.

The cumulative weight of carcasses of hogs and pigs reached 1.33 million metric tons in the third quarter of 2022, representing increases of 4.3% compared to the same period of 2021 and 1.8% compared to the second quarter of 2022. Slaughter of 692.94 thousand more head of hogs and pigs in this third quarter, in relation to the same period of the previous year, was driven by increases in 18 of the 25 Federation Units participating in the survey – with the South region accounting for 66.6% of the national slaughter.

Also in this third quarter, 1.55 billion chicken heads were slaughtered. This result represents the highest level for a third quarter of the survey's time series, with records for the months of August and September.

“Influenced by the effects of the war in Ukraine and the reduction in world supply due to the avian influenza registered in important exporters in the northern hemisphere, exports reached the second best third quarter of the series”, highlights Mr. Viscardi.

The cumulative weight of chicken carcasses was 3.75 million metric tons in this quarter. The result represented increases of 2.7% compared to the same period of 2021 and also 2.7% compared to the second quarter of 2022.

Milk purchases falling year-on-year

The purchase of raw milk made by establishments that operate under municipal, state or federal health inspection was 6.10 billion liters, a reduction of 1.7% compared to the third quarter of 2021, and an increase of 11.1% in comparison with the previous quarter.

The tanneries with at least five thousand whole bovine rawride units per year declared having received 7.99 million pieces of rawrides. This total represents an increase of 6.7% compared to that acquired in the third quarter of 2021 and an increase of 6.6% compared to the second quarter of 2022.

The production of hen eggs hit a new record, reaching 1.02 billion dozen eggs. The mark exceeds the previous survey record of the third quarter of 2020 by 857 thousand dozen, and was 0.5% greater than the production of the same quarter of 2021. As in the two previous years, the peak of quarterly production occurred in August , when 346,070 dozen eggs were produced – the highest level ever recorded for that month in the series. The estimated quantity in this quarter also represented a growth of 1.2% in relation to the previous quarter and it was the fifth time that hen egg production in Brazil surpassed 1 billion dozen. The time series of this survey started in 1987.