In Q2 2018, the slaughter of chickens recorded a decrease of 4.0% over Q2 2017 and a decrease of 6.9% over the previous quarter. The survey has recorded the worst result for a month of May since Q2 2009, a result that has probably been affected by the truck drivers strike. Considering slaughter of cattle, there was increase of 4.0% against the samer period in 2017. However, against the previous quarter, there was decrease of 0.2%, resulting in a total 7.72 million head slaughtered. The slaughter of hogs and pigs increased 1.9% against the same period in 2017 and rose 1.0% in comparison with the previous quarter. That has been the best result (10.82 million head) for a second quarter since the start of the survey, in 1997. 

The acquisition of raw milk amounted to 5.47 billion liters, with a decrease of 3.2% against the result of Q2 2017. The acquisition of leather in Q2 2018 (8.23 million pieces of cattle rawhide) remained stable in comparison with the result of Q2 2017 and fell 4.1% in relation to the previous quarter. Lastly, the production of hen eggs was 6.6%, above the figure of Q2 2017 and increased 2.0% against the previous quarter, reaching a new record in the time series. The complete publication of the Quarterly Livestock surveys is available on the right of the page.

Slaughter of chicken increases 4% against Q2 2017

In the second quarter of 2018, 7.72 million cattle head under some sort of sanitary inspection were slaughtered.  That number was 0.2% below the figure in the previous quarter, and 4.0% bigger than in the 2nd quarter of 2017, a period affected by the "Operation Flesh is Weak" (an operation against corruption), created by the Federal Police of Brazil.

The slaughter of more 296,51 thousand cattle head in the second quarter of 2018 over the same period a year ago was leveraged by the increase in 15 of the 27 Federation Units  (FUs). Among those with participation above 1.0%, there were increases in: Mato Grosso (+95.20 thousand head), Rio Grande do Sul (+54.25 thousand head), Rondônia (+48.74 thousand head), Paraná (+40.10 thousand head), São Paulo (+39.13 thousand head), Minas Gerais (+31.61 thousand head), Goiás (+21.10 thousand head), Santa Catarina (+11.47 thousand head), Maranhão (+6,50 thousand head) and Acre (+1.33 thousand head). On the other hand, the biggest decreases occurred in: Pará (-28.34 thousand head), Mato Grosso do Sul (-17.10 thousand head), Tocantins (-5.21 thousand head) and Bahia (-2.26 thousand head).

Mato Grosso still leads cattle slaughter, with 15.1% of the national share, followed by Mato Grosso do Sul (10.5%) and Goiás (10.4%).

Slaughter of hogs and pigs increases 1.9% in the annual comparison and has record figure in June 

In Q 2 2018, 10.82 million head of hogs and pigs were slaughtered, representing increases of 1.0% in relation to the previous quarter and of 1.9% over the same period in 2017. That has been the best result for a second quarter since the beginning of the survey, in 1997. It was only possible because of the volume of meat slaughtered in June - a record figure for the month - a sign of recovery of the activity in May, a month marked by the worst performance since 2013.  Exerting significant influence on the output from slaughter came the truck drivers’ strike.

The slaughter of more 204.07 thousand head of hogs and pigs in the second quarter of 2018, in relation to the same period a year ago, was leveraged by rises in slaughter in 14 out of the 25 Federation Units that taking part in the survey. Among the states with participation above 1%, increases came from: Mato Grosso do Sul (+101.13 thousand head), Santa Catarina (+42.66 thousand head), Mato Grosso (+42.18 thousand head), São Paulo (+35.58 thousand head), Minas Gerais (+18.01 thousand head), Rio Grande do Sul (+17.04 thousand head) and Goiás (+4.38 thousand head). On the other hand, there was decrease in Paraná (-40.75 thousand head).

Santa Catarina remained as the leader of slaughter of hogs and pigs, with 26.3% of the national participation, followed by Paraná (20.7%) and Rio Grande do Sul (18.3%).

Slaughter of chickens falls 4.0% in the annual comparison and records worst result since 2009

In the second quarter of 2018, 1.38 billion chicken head were slaughtered. That represented a drop of 6.9% over the previous quarter and a decrease of 4.0% in the comparison with the same period in 2017. The survey had the worst result for a month of May since the 2nd quarter of 2009, which may have resulted from the truck driver strike, which prevented a normal circulation of products and inputs in the country, thus damaging the whole productive chain before it reaches the final consumer.

The reduction of slaughter by 57.35 million chicken head in the second quarter of 2018, in relation to the same period in a year ago, was determined by drops in slaughter in 14 out of the 24 Federation Units analyzed in the survey. Among those with participation above 1.0%, the ones recording decreases were: Santa Catarina (-27.54 million head), Paraná (-23.74 million head), Goiás (-4.39 million head), Mato Grosso (-3.18 million head), Minas Gerais (-1.96 million head), Mato Grosso do Sul (-1.96 million head) and Federal District (-658.26 thousand head). On the other hand, increases came from: Rio Grande do Sul (+4.39 million head), Bahia (+3.43 million head), Pará (+3.27 million head), Pernambuco (+927.86 thousand head) and São Paulo (+21.56 thousand head).

Paraná is still the leader (by a wide margin) in terms of chicken slaughter in Brazil, with 30.8% of the national participation, followed by Rio Grande do Sul (15.3%) and Santa Catarina (13.4%).

Acquisition of milk fell by 3.2% against 2017, affected by the truck drivers' strike

In Q2 2018, the acquisition of raw milk done by the establishments that work under some type of sanitary inspection (Federal, State or Municipal) was 5.47 billion liters, meaning a decrease of 3.2% against the amount acquired in Q2 2017. Against the previous quarter, that volume was 8.9% smaller.  The second quarter is typically characterized as the period with the smallest acquisition of milk over the years.  Besides the decrease of production in the period between harvests, the strike made more difficult the access to raw material for dairy products.

The acquisition of minus 179.42 million liters of milk at national level, in a comparison between the 2nd quarter of 2018 and the same period a year ago, was influenced by a decrease in 12 of the 26 Federation Units taking part in the Quarterly Survey of Milk Production, which covers all the Major Regions in Brazil. The biggest decreases were those of São Paulo (-86.14 million liters), Goiás (-49.23 million liters), Rio de Janeiro (-21.49 million liters) and Rio Grande do Sul (-18.28 million liters). Minas Gerais and Bahia accounted for the most significant increases between the second quarters: 19.61 million liters and 17.93 million liters, respectively.

Minas Gerais still leads milk acquisition by a wide margin, with 25.6% of the national acquisition, followed by Rio Grande do Sul (13.5%) and Paraná (12.3%).

Production of eggs increases 2.0% against that of Q1 and reaches a record figure

The overall output amounted to 874.40 million dozen hen eggs in Q2 2018. That amount means an increase of 2.0% against the previous quarter and was 6.6% bigger than in the 2nd quarter of 2017. The output of milk in Q2 2018 was the biggest ever registered in a second quarter, and also hit the record in the time series. 

In the comparison between the first quarters of 2018 and 2017, the production of more 54.00 million dozens of eggs, at national level, was leveraged by the increases in 21 out of the 26 FUs with eligible chicken farms. The most significant increases were those of Espírito Santo (+12.58 million dozens), São Paulo (+9.60 million dozens), Pernambuco (+5.51 million dozens), Ceará (+5.43 million dozens) and Mato Grosso (+5.41 million dozens).

Holding 29.1% of the national production, the state of São Paulo remained as the biggest producer of eggs among the Federation Units, now followed by Espírito Santo (9.5%), Minas Gerais (9.3%) and Paraná (8.7%).

Acquisition of leather remains stable in the annual comparison

The tanning houses investigated in the Quarterly Survey of Leather reported to have received 8.23 million whole cattle rawhide pieces in the second quarter of 2018. That amount represents a decrease of 4.1% versus what was acquired in the previous quarter, with stability against Q2 2017.

The comparison between the second quarters of 2017 and 2018 point to a positive change of 727 pieces in the total acquired by the establishments covered by the survey.  The positive highlights in absolute figures came from Rio Grande do Sul (+163.18 thousand pieces), Mato Grosso do Sul (+70.75 thousand pieces), Pará (+49.55 thousand pieces), Goiás (+49.21 thousand pieces) and Rondônia (44.92 thousand pieces). São Paulo (-86.26 thousand pieces) and Minas Gerais (-26.48 thousand pieces) registered the biggest decreases.

Holding 15.9% of the national production, Mato Grosso remained leading the reception of cattle rawhide by tanneries, followed by Mato Grosso do Sul (13.1%) and São Paulo (12.1%).