In 2011, chicken slaughter reached 5.3 billion animals, a rise of 5.6% in relation to 2010. An increase of 7.2% was also registered in the slaughter of pigs and hogs, reaching 34.9 million heads. The purchase of milk, which totaled 21.8 billion liters, was larger than the one registered in 2010. The production of hen´s eggs in 2011 also rose in relation to 2010, with 2.7 billion of dozens posting an increase of 4.3%.

Conversely, the slaughter of cattle and the purchase of leather marked a decrease in comparison with 2010. The 28.8 million cattle head slaughtered in 2011 represented a reduction of 1.6% in relation to the previous year.  In the accumulated of the year, 34.1 million of whole cattle hide were purchased, a downfall in the purchase of 2.5% comparing to 2010.

This and further information can be seen in the results of the Quartely Surveys of Animal Slaughter and Production of Milk, Leather and Eggs (Q4 and the accumulated in the year of 2011).   The complete publication is available at

https://www.ibge.gov.br/english/estatistica/indicadores/agropecuaria/producaoagropecuaria/default.shtm

Cattle slaughter in 2011 falls 1.6% compared with 2010

In 2011, 28.8 million cattle heads were slaughtered, a drop of 1.6% in relation to 2010. The high prices of beef in the internal market and the rise in the consumption of pork and poultry meat indicate that the consumer may have partially substituted the consumption of beef for meat at more accessible prices.  Other factors that contributed to this result are the drop in the exports (due to the European economic crisis as well as to the deceleration in the global economy) and the need for replacement cattle in Brazil.

The share of cows in the overall slaughter was 3.6%, bigger than in 2010. After four years of reduction in the slaughter volume, the climate conditions, which damaged the grasslands of important regions, forced producers to slaughter more females to make up for the low weight of male animals ready for slaughter.

Among the Federation Units, Mato Grosso was still a highlight, registering a growth of 9.6% of the slaughter in the 2011/2010 period. 

Chicken slaughter posts a rise of 5.6% as compared to 2010

In 2011, 5.3 billion chicken were slaughtered, indicating a growth of 5.6% in relation to 2010. The Central-West region was a highlight in 2011, followed by the South and Southeast regions. Among the Federation Units, the main slaughtering states are Paraná (26.3%), Santa Catarina (18.0%) and Rio Grande do Sul (14.5%), São Paulo (14.5%), Minas Gerais (6.9%) and Goiás (6.1%).

South region remains as the main producer of swines

In 2011, 34.9 million pigs and hogs were slaughtered, accounting for an increase of 7.2% in relation to the previous year.  The South region remained as the main slaughtering region of swines, accounting for 65.9% of all the national slaughter.  Santa Catarina took the first position with 26.4% of the national slaughter of swines, followed by Rio Grande do Sul (18.0%) and Paraná (16.6%). Paraná was a highlight due to its significant growth among the Federation Units comparing to 2010, having slaughtered 1.2 million more heads, a rise of 22.2%.

Purchase of milk in 2011 is 3.9% larger than in 2010

The purchase of raw milk in 2011 totaled 21.8 billion liters, 3.9% larger than the one registered in 2010, the growth being recorded in every month of the year, except for July (-0.3%).  Most of the overall of the milk purchased in 2011 (93.0%) was destined to inspected establishments with a federal license.   

Among the Federation Units, Amazonas and Sergipe climbed to a record: 190.6% and 46.4%, respectively, even though their productions are quite insignificant in the national context. Roraima, on its turn, pulled down to 32.8% in terms of purchase.

In 2011, 5.610 thousand tons of raw milk were exported. Against the previous year, there is a drop of 36.3% in the volume sold and 24.6% in the revenue. On the other hand, the trade of powdered milk accumulated in 2011 had a downfall of 26.6% in volume (contrasting with the one registered in 2010). The revenue shrunk 24.5% in that same period.

Purchase of cattle hide falls 2.5% compared with 2010

In 2011, 34.1 million of cattle hide were purchased, representing a drop of 2.5% in the comparison with the previous year. In every quarter of 2011 there was a fall in the overall purchase of leather, comparing to 2010, except in Q1, when there was a rise of 3.4%.

Q1 boosted the leather purchase not only for its own tanning but also for tanning services provided to others (25.7% of the overall purchase in the year). From the overall leather purchase, 63.7% came from refrigerated slaughterhouses, 26.8% were received to provide tanning services to others. The remainder came from salters (6.8%), municipal slaughterhouses (1.8%), and other tanneries and other origins, with 0.4% each individually.

The overall amount of whole cattle rawhide in 2011 was 18.5%, above the total of slaughtered animals, according to the Quarterly Survey of Slaughter. That difference, equivalent to 5.327 million heads, accounts for the quantity of animals slaughtered in non-inspected establishments that sent their hides to tanneries. Such difference, which was greater than 30% in other decades, has been falling in the last years due to a stricter supervision and to a more formal production chain. 

Mato Grosso was a highlight in the overall purchase of leather, exceeding the rise of the annual difference. Tocantins also increased the purchase of the product, becoming responsible for a share of 33.7% in the annual difference.   Conversely, São Paulo reduced significantly the purchase of leather in that same period, as well as Paraná, Bahia and Goiás.

Production of hen’s eggs posts an increase of 4.3% in relation to 2010

The production of hen’s eggs in 2011 was 4.3% higher than the one recorded in 2010. There was a register of 2.7 billion dozens of the product. The production kept growing in every month of the year, presenting the highest positive change in December (7.0%). Mato Grosso was responsible for 32.2% of the growth registered between 2011 and 2010. Paraná contributed with 28.2% of the rise, whereas Amazonas had a fall accounting for -6.3% of that difference. 

Cattle slaughter in the 4th quarter reached 7.4 million heads

In the 4th quarter of 2011, 7.4 million cattle head were slaughtered, representing rises of 1.0% in relation to the previous quarter and of 2.3% in comparison to the same quarter in 2010. The accumulated weight of carcasses (1.8 million tons) was 0.2% higher than the one registered in the 3^rd quarter of 2011, and also 3.7% higher than the one registered in the same quarter of the previous year.  

Mato Grosso, with a 21.6% rise in cattle slaughter in relation to the 4^th quarter of 2010, is still the Federation Unit with the greatest number of cattle heads slaughtered, followed by Mato Grosso do Sul and São Paulo.

Chicken slaughter posts a decrease of 1% in relation to the 3^rd quarter of 2011

In the 4th quarter, 1.3 billion chicken heads were slaughtered, a drop of 1% in relation to the immediately previous quarter and a rise of 4.5% in relation to the 4^th quarter of 2010. The weight of accumulated carcasses (2.9 million tons) was 1.6% inferior to the one registered in the 3^rd quarter of 2011 and 5.4% higher than in the 4th quarter of 2010.  

The three states of the South account for 60.8% of the national slaughter. Rio Grande do Sul registered a rise of approximately 20 million chicken slaughtered comparing the 4^th quarter of 2011 with the previous one.

 The Southeast region concentrated 23.5% of the volume slaughtered.  Minas Gerais also slaughtered approximately 20 million more heads in the period.

Pig slaughter posts a rise of 8.2% in the 4th quarter of 2010

In the 4^th quarter, 9.0 million chicken pig heads were slaughtered, a drop of 0.7% in relation to the immediately previous quarter and a rise of 8.2% in relation to the 4^th quarter of 2010. The accumulated weight of carcasses (872.6 thousand tons) was 0.5% inferior than the one registered in the previous quarter, and 11.0% higher in the comparison with the same period in 2010.

The South region accounted for 65.0% of the national pig slaughter overall in Q4 2011. Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná slaughtered, respectively, 25.4%, 20.6% and 19.0% of the national total. All the Federation Units of the South, Southeast and Central-West regions recorded increases in the slaughter of hogs and pigs, except for Espírito Santo.

Purchase of milk in the quarter is larger than in Q3 of 2011 and Q4 of 2010

The purchase of milk in the 4^th quarter of 2011 totaled 5.9 billion liters, rising both in relation to Q4 of 2010 and to Q3 of 2011: 5.4% and 10.7%, respectively.  The great majority of the total amount is attributed to federal establishments (92.9%). Minas Gerais was the main state as to milk acquisition, with 24.8% of the national total.  Rio Grande do Sul bought 15.3% of the total of milk purchased in the period, getting ahead of São Paulo (11.6%). The purchase in Paraná was 11.3%, getting closer to São Paulo.

Purchase of leather registers downfalls in Q4

The acquisition of whole cattle hide reached 8.3 million in the 4^th quarter of 2011, indicating drops of 0.2% and of 1.3% respectively in relation to Q4 of 2010 and Q3 of 2011. The highlights of purchase for tanning purposes (including services) are: Mato Grosso with 18.5% of the national overall, São Paulo with 13.0% and Rio Grande do Sul with 12.0%.

The production of eggs in the quarter was larger than in the previous one and in Q4 of 2010

In the 4th quarter of 2011, the production of hen’s eggs totaled 659.0 million, an increase of 6.0% in relation to the 4th quarter of 2010. And in relation to the 3^rd quarter of 2011 there was a rise of 1.4%. The biggest rise occurred in the Central-West region of the country (31.1%) due to the increase seen, particularly, in Mato Grosso (23.9%).  Another region of significant growth was the South, with a rise of 27.1% leveraged by the increase of 18.0% in the production in Paraná and 9.3% in Santa Catarina. In the Northeast the rise was of 22.6% due to the growth of 14.9% in Bahia.