In 2006, the number of bovine animals slaughtered reached 30,2 million, representing an increase of 7.8% in relation to the previous year. In the period 2000-2006, the slaughter of animals in the country increased by 76.9%. Also in 2006 were slaughtered 25,5 million hogs and pigs and 3,9 billion chickens, with increase of 8.7% and 2.0% respectively, in comparison with the previous year. Milk processing companies acquired 16,7 billion liters of milk in 2006, which means there have been increase of 2.3% since year 2005. The production of hen’s eggs also increased 4.4% from one year to the other, totaling 2,1 billion dozens. These data are part of the quarterly surveys of IBGE on Slaughter of Animals, Acquisition of Leather and Production of Milk and Hen’s Eggs.

In comparison with the previous year, the slaughter of animals increased by 9.4%, of cows by 8.6% and of calves by 1.9%. The slaughter of bullocks decreased by 40.0% in this period. In 2006, 47.7% of the animals slaughtered were bulls, 36.9% were cows and 15.3% were calves.

In the fourth quarter of 2006, 7,7 million head of cattle were slaughtered all over the country. This represented an increase of 11.9% in relation to the same period in 2005. Among the animals slaughtered in the fourth quarter of 2006, there 50.9% were bulls , 33.3% were cows and 15.5% were calves. In relation to the third quarter of 2006, there was decrease of 3.3%. Still in this period, there was negative change in all the categories of animals investigated by the survey, except calves.

Considering the weight of the carcass, there were 1,7 million tons in the fourth quarter of 2006, representing an increase of 13.7% in comparison with the fourth quarter of 2005. There was fall of 3.4% in comparison with the third quarter of 2006. The result of bulls slaughter was 1,0 million tons, which meant an increase of 19.0% in relation to the fourth quarter of 2005 and fall of 2.6% in comparison with the third quarter of 2006.

The following graph shows the distribution of slaughter in the months of 2006. It can be seen that august had the highest volume of slaughter.

The Quarterly Surveys of Slaughter had, in the fourth quarter of 2006, 2,061 informants spread among all the Brazilian states. Especially in the case of bovine cattle, 1,523 informants participated in the survey in this period. Out of these, 37.2% of the informants were located in the Northeast Region; 31.7%, in the South and 14.6%, in the Southeast. Although a bigger number of informants were from the Northeast of the country, this region had only 9.8% of the volume of animals slaughtered in the period. The South region concentrated 12.9% of the production; the Southeast Region, 22.6%; the North Region, 17.7% and the Central West Region, 36.9%.

In 2006, 25,5 million hogs and pigs were slaughtered

In the fourth quarter of 2006, 7,0 million hogs and pigs were slaughtered¹, which meant an increase of 12.8% in relation to the same period of 2005 and of 4.8% compared to the third quarter of 2006. In terms of the weight of carcasses, there was an increase of 8.7% in relation to the same period of 2005 and fall of 2.5% in comparison with the third quarter of 2006. A total of 597,9 thousand carcasses of hogs and pigs were slaughtered in the fourth quarter of 2006, and the average weight of the animals was 86 kilograms.

In terms of volume slaughtered, the south region concentrated 65.7% of the national figure. It was followed by the Southeast Region, with 21.3%, and by the Central West region, with 10.9%. The slaughter of hogs and pigs throughout 2006 can be seen in the graph below, in which the December production is the highlight.

A total of 3,9 billion chickens were slaughtered in 2006

In the fourth quarter of 2006 there was the slaughter of 1,0 billion chicken heads², representing an increase of 1.4% in comparison with the same period in 2005, and of 0.8% in comparison with the third quarter of 2006.  

The weight of carcasses was 2,0 million tons, indicating fall of 0.5% and 3.0% in relation to the fourth quarter of 2005 and to the third quarter of 2006, respectively.

The South Region accounted for 59.4% of chicken slaughter, the Southeast Region, for 25.1%, and the Central West Region, for 11.9%.

The distribution of chicken slaughter throughout 2006 can be seen in the graph below, in which March is the highlight.

In 2006, milk processing companies acquired 16,7 billion liters of milk

The acquisition of milk³, in the fourth quarter of 2006 was 4,6 billion liters, indicating increases of 4.9% in relation to the fourth quarter of 2005 and of 15.7% in relation to the third quarter of 2006. Concerning milk industrialized by companies, the changes were 4,6% and 15.5% compared to the fourth quarter of 2005 and to the third quarter of 2006, respectively.

In 2006, the acquisition of milk, when distributed among the areas showed the concentration of production in the Southeast (44.3%), followed by the South Region (28.0%) and the Central West Region (17.1%). The main producers of milk were Minas Gerais, 28.4%, Rio Grande do Sul, 13,8% and Goiás, with 13.5%.

A total 42,4 million leather pieces were acquired in 2006

The acquisition of leather⁴ in the fourth quarter of 2006 was about 10,9 million units, which meant there was increase of 12.8% in relation to the third quarter of 2005, and decrease of 0.1% in relation to the third quarter of 2006. As for tanned or processed leather the changes were positive, by 14.5% in relation to the fourth quarter of 2005 and by 1.1% in relation to the third quarter of 2006.   

Regarding the volume of leather, it was observed that acquisition occurred mostly in the Central West Region, which accounted for 32.2% of the overall figure. Other results were those of the Southeast, with 26.5% and of the South, with 22.1%. The main states in terms of acquisition of leather were: São Paulo, 22.3%, Rio Grande do Sul 13,2% and Mato Grosso, 12.3%.

In 2006 were acquired 42,4 million pieces of bovine leather. From this total, 58.7% corresponded to the product acquired from cold storage rooms of slaughterhouses and 13.5% bought from intermediate sellers or professionals responsible for the brining of leather.

Production of hen’s eggs in 2006 was 2,1 billion dozens

In the fourth quarter of 2006 were produced 531,7 million dozens of hen’s eggs⁵, indicating a positive change of 2.8% compared to the fourth quarter of 2005 and negative change compared to the third quarter of 2006. The Southeast of the country concentrated 52.3% of the production, above all, in the states of São Paulo (33.6%) and Minas Gerais (13.0%). The South of the country accounted for 22.6% of the national production of hen’s eggs, and the highlight in this case was Paraná, with 9.4%.  

The survey showed there was production of 2,1 billion dozens of hen’s eggs in 2006, accounting for an increase of 4.4% compared to the immediately previous month.

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¹Considering the informants of the survey, a total of 960 (since some establishments slaughter more than one species of animal), 41.8% were located in the South of the country, 32.2% in the Northeast and 18.9% in the Southeast. In the states of Amazonas and Amapá there were not inspected establishments for the slaughter of hogs and pigs registered in the survey.  

²From the total of informants of the Slaughter Survey, 327 provided information about the slaughtered of chickens. Out of these informants, 37.6% were from the southeast of the country; 35.8% from the South and 18.7% from the Northeast. In Amazonas, Amapá, Acre and Maranhão there were not inspected establishments for the slaughter of chickens.   

³In the fourth quarter of 2006, the survey interviewed 2,159 informants, spread among all the federative units, except Amapá. Among these informants, 41.7% were from the Southeast Region of the country, and 20,9% were from the South Region. 

⁴Considering the overall number of informants registered in the survey, 31.6% were located in the Southeast Region of the country, 31.0% in the South Region and 16.4% in the Central West Region. The North and the Northeast of the country hold, each one, 10.5% of the overall number of informants. 

⁵Among a total of 1,528 informants, 43.1% were located in the Southeast of the country , 39.6% in the South and 8.7% in the Northeast. The states of Roraima and Pará started to provide their data in 2006.