In Q3, 2008, 7.142 million cattle herd were slaughtered, which represented a decrease ...

In Q3, 2008, 7.142 million cattle herd were slaughtered, which represented a decrease of 6.3% in relation to Q2 (reduction of 476.9 thousand animals), as in relation to the same period of 2007 (less 483.9 thousand animals).  With this result, the volume slaughtered returned to the level of Q1, 2006.  Q3 was characterized as an off season period with the reduction of rains and occurrence of droughts in producing areas, diminishing the supply and quality of pastures.  According to the Statistics of Livestock Production of IBGE, the total cattle slaughter accumulated in 2008 (22 million animals) was 5.6% less than the one observed in the same period of 2007.  This result showed the continuity of the process of lack of supply of animals for slaughtering which has been observed since the second semester of 2007.

In the graph below it can be observed that Q3, 2008 was the less productive quarter of the last four years.

Among the total animals slaughtered in Q3, 2008, 57.2% were bulls, 29.2% were cows, 13.5% were bullocks and only 0.05% were calves.  The negative change of prices  of the fat bull “boi gordo”, in the months of July and August, influenced this decrease, and the average was 3.4%.

While comparing Q3, 2008 with the same period of 2007, decreases were observed in the slaughtering of cows (11.9%), calves (53.7%) and bullocks (7.0%).  In the same comparison, the region which brought the highest decrease in percentage terms in the volume of slaughtering of cattle was the North Region (19.6%). The state of Tocantins reduced the number of slaughtered animals in 25.7%, and Rondônia in 21.8%.  On the other hand, the South Region presented a volume of slaughtering of cattle 6.1% higher, with a significant increase in Rio Grande do Sul (28.3%).

The total participation of cattle carcasses in the quarter was 1.672 million metric tons, reduction of 4.4% in relation to the previous quarter.  Regarding the type of inspection, 80.1% of the total animals were slaughtered under federal, 13.3% under state and 6.6% under municipal inspection.

Pullets

In Q3, 2008, 1.247 billion pullets were slaughtered, in establishments which had some type of inspection (federal, state or municipal), representing an increase of 13.9%, in relation to Q3, 2007, and of 4.5% in relation to the immediately previous quarter.

The slaughtering of pullets accumulated in the year amounted to 3.629 billion animals, 12.6% above the result observed in the same period of the previous year.  Since Q3, 2006 the volume of slaughtered pullets registered a positive change, period after period.  Almost all the slaughtering (96.2%) occurred under federal inspection.

Compared to Q3 of the previous year, the highest relative increase (237.4%) in the slaughtering of pullets, in the current quarter, by Federative Unit, was recorded by Tocantins.  The highlights in the slaughtering of pullets were observed in the states of Paraná and Santa Catarina, which brought an increase of 16.2% and 9.6%, respectively of the volume slaughtered.

Hogs and Pigs

In Q3, 2008, 7.337 million hogs and pigs were slaughtered, recording increase of 4.8%, in relation to Q3, 2007, and 1.2% in relation to Q2, 2008.  In terms of participation of the carcasses, the increases were of 5.6% and of 1.1% when compared to Q3, 2007 and Q2, 2008, respectively.

Acquisition of milk

The industries acquired 4.672 million liters of milk in Q3, 2008, a decrease of 0.5%, in relation to the previous quarter, and an increase of 5.2% in relation to the same period of the previous year.

In relation to the same quarter of the previous year, the highest increase was observed in the South Region (14.9%).  In Paraná the acquisition of milk was 21.9% higher than in the same period of 2007, followed by Santa Catarina (17.9%) and Rio Grande do Sul (9.8%).  These three states acquired 206.897 million milk liters more in Q3, 2008 compared to the same period of the previous year.

The Northeast Region was the only one to present decrease in this period, 2.7%.  Pernambuco recorded a considerable decrease (29.6%), changing place from the 2nd to the 3rd major Federative Unit in the region in the acquisition of milk in this quarter, and was surpassed by Ceará.  Bahia, the leader state regarding milk acquisition in the Northeast, recorded increase of 10.5%.

In absolute terms, the major decrease in milk acquisition was observed in Rio de Janeiro, less 25.833 million liters in the same comparison, due to stoppage of activities of a great creamery in September.

Acquisition of Leather 

In Q3, 2008, 8.649 million units of cattle leather were acquired, representing a decrease of 17.0%, in relation to the same period of the previous year, and 13.4% in relation to the previous quarter.

The low supply of animals resulted in a lower supply of leather by the freezers. Some tanneries are not functioning or reduced the acquisition due to lack of raw material or financial difficulties, and there were even reports of collective vacations and definitive closure of activities.  Stocks of leather pieces were used to fulfill the demands of some companies, but in the quarter the quantity of acquired leather was higher than the quantity of tanned leather, with a positive balance of stock.

In relation to the previous quarter, the major relative decrease occurred in Sergipe (-53%), while in Espírito Santo the acquisition of leather in the period practically tripled (+199%).  In absolute terms, São Paulo, Pará and Rio Grande do Sul recorded the most pronounced reductions in acquisition of leather, recording less 807,159 units.

 
Production of Hen’s Eggs

In Q3, 2008, the production of hen’s eggs increased by 5.9%, in relation to the same quarter of 2007, and 1.6% in relation to Q2, 2008, with a production of 577.250 million dozen hen’s eggs.  The production accumulated in the year was 1.706 billion dozen eggs.

In relation to Q3, 2007, results ranging from –37.9% in Acre to +166.5% in Rondônia were recorded.  In Rondônia, new establishments of egg production were registered after the conduction of the 2006 Agriculture Census, which explains this change.  Besides Acre only Rio Grande do Norte and the Federal District brought negative changes.

São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul were the major producers of hen’s eggs. With the exception of Paraná, the production increased approximately 14 million dozen in each one of these Federative Units in relation to the same period of the previous year.