In the third quarter of 2010, 7,394 million cattle heads were slaughtered, what represents a decrease of 2.5% in relation to the immediately previous quarter...

In the third quarter of 2010, 7,394 million cattle heads were slaughtered, what represents a decrease of 2.5% in relation to the immediately previous quarter, a result especially due to the reduced cow slaughter (-10.9%), considering that ox slaughter increased 1.9% in this period. A 2.6% increase is observed in relation to the third quarter of 2009. The volume of cattle slaughter accumulated up to the third quarter of 2010 was 7.1% superior to that of 2009, including in the quarterly partial analyses.

The Central West region, which represented 35% of national slaughter in the period, presented a 2.3% reduction of the slaughtered total in relation to the same period of 2009, due to a 5.6% decrease of slaughter in Mato Grosso. This decrease was compensated by regions South and Southeast. Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná presented increases of 29.0% and 25.1%; and São Paulo, of 3.6%. Mato Grosso keeps the leadership among the states, having slaughtered 14.1% of the whole national production.

In terms of carcass weight, 1.770 million tons were recorded, a 3.0% decrease in relation to the 2^nd quarter of 2010 and a 2.5% increase in relation to the 3^rd quarter of the previous year.

Chicken

In the third quarter of 2010, the slaughter of chicken amounted 1.283 billion units, 3.8% above the immediately previous quarter. In relation to the same period of 2009, there was a 1.3% increase. This performance places chicken production in a new historical level, surpassing the result obtained 12 months ago. The volume of slaughtered chicken in the accumulated up to the third quarter of 2010 was 4.7% superior to that of 2009.

The total carcass weight was 2.785 million tons, a growth of 4.3% in relation to the immediately previous quarter, and of 6.5% in comparison to the same quarter of 2009. The average weight per slaughtered animal increased 5.08%, changing from 2.06 kg to 2.17 kg.

Hogs and pigs

The slaughter of hogs and pigs, which in the latest years has presented a rise trend in its indicators, reached a new record level in the volume of slaughter. A total of 8.308 million heads were slaughtered, an increase of 2.9% in relation to the immediately previous quarter and of 2.5% in comparison to the same period of 2009. The volume of slaughtered hogs and pigs accumulated in the year shows a performance 5.1% superior to that of 2009.

Carcass weight was 791.229 million tons, an increase of 3.1% in relation to the immediately previous quarter and of 2.7% increase in relation to the third quarter of 2009.

In these three quarters of 2010, the South region represented 65.4% of national production; the Southeast, 17.6%; and the Central West, 15.5%, amounting 98.5% of slaughter in the country. This increased slaughter of hogs and pigs reflects an increased internal consumption of this kind of meat, since exports did not follow these slaughter rates.

Acquisition of milk

The acquisition of milk by industry amounted 5.191 billion liters in the third quarter of 2010, an increase of 6.0% over the third quarter of 2009 and of 5.7% over the second quarter of 2010. The total accumulated in the year was 15.373 billion liters, an 8.8% rise in comparison to the same period of the previous year. Minas Gerais acquired 25.9% of the national total, followed by Rio Grande do Sul (15.8%).

There was a production of 5.167 billion liters of industrialized milk in the third quarter of 2010, indicating an increase of 5.6% in relation to the second quarter of 2010 and of 6.0% in relation to the third quarter of 2009.

Acquisition of leather

In the third quarter of 2010, the acquisition of entire cattle rawhide was 6.417 million, a reduction of 6.1% over the third quarter of 2009 and of 2.4% over the second quarter of 2010. The main sources of leather were slaughterhouses (63.0%), followed by third-parties services of tanning.

As to leather effectively tanned by the surveyed establishments, 8.935 million units were recorded, a decrease in relation to both the third quarter of 2009 and the previous quarter. The main product used in leather tanning is chrome, 95.9% of the product is processed with this method.

Production of hen’s eggs

The production of hen’s eggs increased in all months of 2010 and reached 622.499 million dozens in the third quarter of 2010, an increase of 1.8% in relation to the previous month and of 4.0% in relation to the same quarter of 2009. In the accumulated of the year in 2010 (January to September), production reached the level of 1.839 billion dozens, 4.5% superior to the same period of 2009.

The Southeast concentrated more than half the national production of eggs, with São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Paraná being the major national producers. The survey highlights the growth of poultry farming in the state of Mato Grosso, which almost doubled production of eggs, continuously increasing in all quarters. In this quarter, growth in Mato Grosso was 49.5% in relation to the same quarter of 2009.