The slaughter of hogs and pigs in Brazil in Q2 2015 was 9.70 million head, having reached its highest result since the start of the survey, in 1997. This result represents increases of 5.8% and of 5.7% versus figures recorded in Q1 2015 and Q2 2014, respectively.

In Q2 2015, cattle slaughter in Brazil (7.63 million head) recorded decreases of 1.4% versus the previous quarter and of 10.7% in comparison with Q2 2014. The slaughter of chickens (1,4 billion head) increased by 1.5% in comparison with the figure in the previous quarter and, by 5.5% versus Q2 2014.

The production of hen 's eggs has broken a new record, with 725.72 million dozens, representing increases of 2.7% versus Q1 2015 and of 3.9% versus Q2 2014. Raw milk acquisition was 5.64 billion liters, having fallen by 7.9% in relation to Q1 2015 and by 2.6% in relation to Q2 2014. The acquisition of entire units of cattle rawhide amounted to 8.09 million pieces, with decreases of 0.2% versus the previous month and of 11.9% versus Q2 2014.

These and other data are available in the results for Q2 2015 of the Quarterly Surveys of Animal Slaughter and Production of Milk, Leather and Hen's Eggs. The complete publication is available here

Cattle slaughter registers 7.7 million and falls by 10.7% in relation to Q2 2014

In Q2 2015, a total 7.63 million cattle head were slaughtered. This figure was 1.4% smaller that that in the previous quarter (7.74 million head) and 10.7% smaller than in Q2 2014 (8.54 million head).

The cumulative weight of carcasses in Q2 2015 (1,844 million metric tons) was 0.4% smaller than in the previous quarter (1,837 million metric tons) and 8.3% smaller than in Q2 2014 (2.01 million metric tons).

At national level, the slaughter of minus 912,32 thousand cattle head in Q2 2015, in comparison with those in the same period last year, had, as main highlights, the decreases recorded in: Mato Grosso (-202.95 thousand head), Mato Grosso do Sul (-160,73 head), Goiás (-131,29 head), São Paulo (-130,05 head), Minas Gerais (-82,37 thousand head) and Paraná (-58,70 thousand head). Results of other Federation Units made up for such decreases, mainly those in Pará (+ 38.80 thousand head) and in Rio de Janeiro (+10.07 thousand head). In the national ranking, Mato Grosso remains as the leader in terms of cattle slaughter, followed by Mato Grosso do Sul and Minas Gerais.

With 9.7 million head, slaughter of hogs and pigs increased 5.7% in relation to Q2 2014

In Q2 2015 a total 9.70 million head of hogs and pigs were slaughtered, representing increase of 5.8% in relation to the previous quarter and of 5.7% versus the same period in 2014. This is a record result since the beginning of the survey, in 1997. The cumulative weight of carcasses reached 860.23 thousand metric tons, representing increases of 8.3% in relation to the previous quarter and of 7.7% in relation to the same period in 2014.

The South Region accounted for 66.3% of the national slaughter of hogs and pigs in Q2 2012, followed by the Southeast (19.3%), Central West (13.2%), Northeast (1.1%) and North (0.1%). The comparison between second quarters in 2015/2014 shows the South region has increased its participation in the national slaughter by 0.7 percentage points, due to the 6.9% increase in head slaughtered in Santa Catarina and Paraná. The Southeast Region kept the same level of participation (19.3%), although São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo recorded positive performance, resulting in increase of 5.5% in the number of head slaughtered in the Region. The Central West lost 0.6 percentage points in participation, despite the increment of 1.0% in the volume of hogs and pigs slaughtered, in which the positive performance of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and Federal District, together, overcame the negative result of Goiás.

Chicken slaughter surpasses result of Q2 2015 by 5.5%

In Q2 2015, a total 1.40 million cattle head were slaughtered. This result represented decrease of 1.5% in relation to the previous quarter and of 5.5% in comparison with the same period in 2014. The cumulative weight of carcasses was 3.27 million metric tons in Q2 2015, representing a new record in the time series which started in 1997. This result represented increases of 3.3% in relation to the previous quarter and of 7.4% in relation to the same period in 2014.

The South region accounted for 59.4% of the national slaughter of chickens in Q2 2015, being followed by the Southeast (20.3%), Central West (15.0%), Northeast (3.8%) and North (1.5%). Despite the increase of 4.0% in the number of chickens slaughtered in the South Region, in the comparison between the second quarters of 2015/2014, its participation in the national slaughter fell by 0.9 percentage points. The increase of slaughter in this Major Region resulted from the performance of Paraná, which surpassed the decreases registered in Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. The Southeast Region expanded its participation by 0.1 percentage points, with increase of 0.6% in the volume of chickens slaughtered, distributed throughout all the states that form it. In the Central West, slaughter increased in Goiás, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, contributing to the change of 8.8% in the number of head slaughtered in the Region and increasing its participation in the national aggregate by 0.5 percentage points.

With more than 725 million dozens, egg production keeps record figure

The production of hen’s eggs reached a record of figure 725.72 million dozens in the 2nd quarter of 2015. This amount was 2.7% higher than that recorded in the immediately previous quarter and 3.9% higher than that of the 2nd quarter of 2014.

In terms of regional distribution, the production is, to a great extent, concentrated in the in the Southeast (47.8%), being São Paulo the biggest national producing state (29.3%), followed by Minas Gerais (9.9%) and by Espírito Santo (8.4%). The South was responsible for 22.9% of the production, mainly due to the contribution of Paraná (9.8%) and Rio Grande do Sul (8.4%).

Acquisition of milk falls 2.6% versus Q1 2014 figure

In Q2 2015, the milk processing industry acquired 5.64 billion liters, with decreases of 7.9% versus the previous quarter and of 2.6% versus Q2 2014.

Regionally, the comparison between the second quarters of 2015/2014 reflected the decrease in the acquisition of milk in all the Major Regions, except in the South (1.3%). In this one, only Paraná registered a decrease in acquisition (-6.2%), whereas significant increases were recorded in the other states that form the South Region. Relevant absolute decreases were recorded in the Southeast of the country, especially in Minas Gerais (-5.1%). In the Central West, there was a decrease of 8.7%, influenced by Goiás (-7.8%), Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul (-7.4%). In the North, there was a reduction of 13.0 %, registered, especially, in Rondônia (-10,8%) and in Pará (-18.2%), states which have the biggest regional weight. In the Northeast, the drop in the acquisition of milk was 6.0% and affected all the states but Paraíba, Pernambuco and Sergipe. In the national ranking of milk acquisition, Minas Gerais remais as the leader, followed by Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná.

Acquisition of leather falls by 11.9% versus Q1 2014 result

Acquisition of leather was 8.09 million pieces in Q2 2015 This amount was 0.2% smaller than that registered in the immediately previous quarter and 11.9% smaller than that recorded in Q2 2014. As to the origin of the leather, most of it came from refrigerated slaughterhouses, followed by rendering of services, accounting, together, for 89.5% of the total found in the period.

The reduction by 1.09 million whole pieces of leather at national level, in the comparison between the second quarters of 2015/2014, highlights falls in: Paraná (-269.42 thousand pieces), Mato Grosso do Sul (-241.60 thousand pieces), Mato Grosso (-201.70 thousand pieces), Goiás (-178.90 thousand pieces), Rio Grande do Sul (-143.36 thousand pieces), Bahia (-91,23 thousand pieces) and Minas Gerais (-74.83 thousand pieces). A part of these decreases has been compensated by increases in other five Federation Units, mainly in Rondônia (+140.32 thousand pieces) and Tocantins (+26.17 thousand pieces). In the ranking by state, Mato Grosso is still leading the receipt of leather by tanneries, followed by São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul.