In the third quarter of 2024, cattle slaughter rose 15.3% compared with the third quarter of 2023 and increased 3.9% over the second quarter of 2024. The total slaughtered head hit 10.37 million, surpassing the mark of ten million head in a quarter for the first time ever. Slaughter of hogs and pigs and of chicken were a record as well. The data are the complete results of the Quarterly Livestock Surveys for the third quarter of 2024, released today (5) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

"The year of 2024 is being a record in cattle slaughter and meat production. We are about to hit an annual record, depending on the fourth quarter. July was the best month for slaughtering in general, with a record of slaughtered heads for a single month in the time series started in 1997. We have a fair supply of animals, as a result of a retention of females between the end of 2019 and 2021. Moreover, we are still in the low cycle, not in the number of animals, but rather in prices, with the prices of calves still low. Producers prefer to not retain females and deliver them to be slaughtered," explained Angela Lordão, manager of the survey.

In relation to the same period in 2023, more 1.37 million cattle head were slaughtered in the third quarter of 2024, with rises in 25 out of 27 Federation Units (FUs). Slaughter of females increased 19.6% in relation to the third quarter of 2023, influenced by the drop in the price of calves in the annual comparison, whereas slaughter of males rose 12.5%.

Lordão also explained that there is a high demand for beef, both domestic and foreign. "We have been having record exports and the domestic market has also registered an increase in the per capita consumption of families," added her. Exports of cattle in the quarter hit the unprecedented level of 706.43 thousand tonnes, an increase of 30.6% in the annual comparison, with records for July, August and September (SECEX/MDIC).

Slaughter of hogs and pigs and of chicken hit records

The slaughter of 1.62 billion chicken head represented an increase of 2.8% in relation to the same period in 2023 and of 0.8% compared with the second quarter of 2024. This result represents a new quarterly record in terms of volume of chicken head slaughtered.  

The slaughter of 14.95 million head of hogs and pigs represented a new record, with an increase of 2.1% in relation to the same period of 2023 and of 2.6% compared with the second quarter of 2024. The slaughter of more 313.02 thousand head of hogs and pigs in the third quarter of 2024, in relation to the same period last year, was leveraged by the increases in 15 out of 25 Federation Units that have inspected slaughterhouses.

The exported volume of pork grew once again, hitting a new quarterly record. The Brazilian exports of chicken also rose in the third quarter of 2024 and hit the second best result in the Secex´s time series. "Brazil has opened new markets for the exportation of pork and it is the biggest world exporter of chicken." pointed out the manager.

Production of hen eggs hits record in time series 

The production of hen eggs reached 1.2 billion dozen in the third quarter of 2024, an increase of 10.3% in relation to the same quarter in 2023 and of 3.0% in relation to the previous quarter, hitting a new record in the time series.

"The production of eggs was also a record. They are the most affordable protein for the population at a cheaper price. We had a quite higher supply, mainly of eggs for consumption, which led to a drop in the prices of eggs," explained Angela Lordão.

More 111.94 million dozen eggs were produced compared with the third quarter of 2023. More than half of the chicken farms, 1,105 (54.2%) produced eggs for consumption, accounting for 82.3% of the total number of eggs produced, whereas 935 chicken farms (45.8%) produced eggs for incubation, accounting for 17.7% of the total number of eggs produced.  

Milk acquisition rose 7.1% compared with previous period

The acquisition of raw milk was 6.30 billion liters, equivalent to a reduction of 0.3% in relation to the third quarter of 2023 and an increase of 7.1% compared with the immediately previous quarter. The decrease of 21.91 million liters of milk acquired at national level comes from drops recorded in 14 out of 26 FUs. 

The average price of milk paid to producers grew due to a higher competition of industries for the raw material, reaching R$2.80. This price increased 20.7% in relation to the same period last year and a rise of 7.7% in relation to the second quarter of 2024.

"The lower the supply in the field, the higher the competition among industries, leading to an increase in the price of milk. It is also interesting to highlight the recovery of the production of milk in Minas Gerais, which is the biggest producer of milk and accounts for one quarter of the national acquisition and production. However, many states were affected by severe droughts and burns that occurred in Brazil," explained the manager of the survey.

Leather acquisition grows 17.4% in relation to Q3 2023

The tanning houses investigated in the Quarterly Survey of Leather reported to have received 10.55 million whole cattle raw hides in the third quarter of 2024. This total represents an increase of 17.4% in relation to the same quarter last year and a rise of 2.7% compared with the second quarter of 2024. 

"As cattle slaughter increased, it is natural that leather follows the same way. Therefore, the increase in leather is rightly due to the higher number of slaughtered heads," added Angela Lordão.

More about the survey

On a quarterly basis, the IBGE carries out the official statistical surveys of the agricultural scenario, which are the Quarterly Survey of Animal Slaughter, Quarterly Survey of Milk, Quarterly Survey of Leather and Production of Hen Eggs. In order to meet requests from users to quickly access the information of the agricultural scenario, the IBGE began to release the first results of these surveys from the first quarter of 2018 onwards. These data are available nearly one month ahead of the general release of the data in the newspaper IBGE Indicators: Statistics of Livestock Production. The data can be accessed on Sidra. The next release of the first results, related to the fourth quarter of 2024, will be on February 11, 2025, and the complete results, on March 18, 2025.