Cattle slaughter reached 8.36 million head in the second quarter of 2023, a rise of 12.6% in relation to the same period last year and of 13.4% in the comparison with the first quarter of 2023. On the other hand, the slaughter of 14.08 million head of hogs and pigs represented a drop of 1.0% in relation to the same period of 2022 and of 0.6% in the comparison with the first quarter of 2023, interrupting a sequence of positive annual comparisons since the second quarter of 2014.

These results come from Livestock Statistics, released today (6) by the IBGE. The numbers also show that the slaughter of 1.56 billion chicken head was a record for a second quarter, with a rise of 4.7% in relation to the same period of 2022 and a drop of 3.2% in the comparison with the first quarter of 2023.

Bernardo Viscardi, the supervisor of the survey, highlights the growth in the cattle slaughter of cows: “The slaughter of cows increased 23.9% in the annual comparison, highlighted by heifers - females up to 2 years of age -, which registered a record in absolute numbers, with 1.16 million head, and an increase of 40.2% in relation to the same quarter of 2022.” He also highlights that the exports hit a record for a second quarter, leveraged by the upturn of the exports to China, which had been embargoed.

More 934.45 thousand cattle head were slaughtered in the second quarter of 2023 in relation to the same period of 2022, an increase leveraged by 18 out of 27 Federation Units (FUs). The most significant numbers were Mato Grosso (+310.74 thousand head), Rondônia (+243.27 thousand head) and Goiás (+187.91 thousand head).

Hogs and pigs slaughter drops in the annual comparison and interrupts sequence of records

Hogs and pigs slaughter interrupted a sequence of records and dropped in the annual comparison for the first time since 2014. A total of 14.08 million head slaughtered represented a drop of 1.0% in relation to the same period of 2022 and of 0.6% in the comparison with the first quarter of 2023.

“Hogs and pigs slaughter had been beating records continuously, so it was expected that the market became saturated at some point. In addition, it competes with beef, whose price slightly dropped and it is more accessible in the domestic market, as well as with chicken, whose domestic supply is also abundant,” explains the supervisor.

Viscardi highlights that, even with such reduction, the exports of pork was a record for a second quarter and that, despite the drop in the number of head, the amount of carcasses produced slightly grew, due to the increase in the average weight of the animals slaughtered.

The slaughter of less 148.23 thousand head of hogs and pigs in the second quarter of 2023 over the same period a year ago was influenced by drops in 17 out of 24 Federation Units investigated. The major reductions were in Rio Grande do Sul (-108.59 thousand head), Minas Gerais (-85.43 thousand head), São Paulo (-60.87 thousand head), Mato Grosso (-53.36 thousand head) and Goiás (-53.30 thousand head).

Chicken slaughter has best second quarter in the time series started in 1997

The slaughter of 1.56 billion chicken head in the second quarter of 2023 represented an increase of 4.7% in relation to the same period of 2022 and a drop of 3.2% in the comparison with the first quarter of 2023. This result established the best second quarter in the time series of the survey, started in 1997. Besides, Brazil hit a new record in the volume exported of chicken.

“Chicken is very demanded by the domestic market as it has an accessible price and it has been also demanded by the foreign market due to problems with avian flu, which hampered the supply of other exporters, but not hitting Brazil,” highlights the supervisor.

The slaughter of more 70.03 million chicken head in the second quarter of 2023 in relation to the same period in the previous year was determined by the increase in the slaughter in 17 out of 25 FUs analyzed in the survey. The biggest increase was in Paraná (+29.01 million head), which also leads chicken slaughter, with 34.2% of the national share.

The production of hen eggs was of 1.05 billion dozens, the equivalent to an increase of 2.9% in relation to the amount reported in the same quarter of 2022 and of 2.0% in the comparison with the first quarter of 2023. The output was the second biggest ever recorded and it hit a record for a second quarter, taking into account the time series of the survey, started in 1987.

“It is normal to increase between the first and second quarters,” says Viscardi. “Egg protein is also very demanded due to price, and it is growing since 2018, producing more than 1 billion dozens per quarter since 2020,” complements him.

The supervisor also highlights that both the production of eggs for consumption and for incubation, used to restore broiler herds, increased: “Eggs for consumption represent nearly 81% of the production and fertile eggs, 19%.”

Milk acquisition grows 4.0% in the annual comparison

In the second quarter of 2023, the acquisition of raw milk by establishments under some kind of sanitary inspection (either federal, state or municipal) was of 5.72 billion liters, representing an increase of 4.0% over the amount produced in the second quarter of 2022 and of 3.9% compared with the immediately previous quarter.

“Such growth was strongly leveraged by the increase in the price paid to producers In addition, production costs reduced, especially those related with food. All this stimulated the production,” explains Viscardi.

They were more 217.77 million liters of milk acquired at national level, from increases registered in 22 out of 26 FUs surveyed. The biggest increases were in Santa Catarina (+79.23 million liters), Goiás (+35.97 million liters) and Rio Grande do Sul (+32.16 million liters).

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 data can be consulted on Sidra. The next release of the first results, related to the third quarter, will be on November 9, and the complete results, on December 7.