MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil beef production forecasted at 9,85 million tons and 2,6 million tons exports

Some 37.7 million will be slaughtered during the current year. This compares with the 36.3 million recorded in 2021.

Brazil is forecasted to have a beef production of 9.85 million tons (in carcass-weight equivalent) in 2022, according to the estimates from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Such a volume should exceed the 9.5 million tons recorded in 2021.

This means some 37.7 million head of cattle in abattoirs during the current year, if the announced volume of beef is to be achieved. This compares with the 36.3 million recorded in 2021.

Of the 9,85 million tons production, Brazil is expected to export some 2,6 million tons of beef during 2022 according to the USDA report. This is 300,000 tons more than the 2,32 million of last year.

Domestic demand is estimated at 7,31 million tons this year, up from the 7,24 million tons of 2021.

Record year for Uruguay

In neighboring Uruguay beef exports for 2022 are forecasted at 490,000 tons carcass weight equivalent as a result of abundant beef supplies, strong foreign demand, and export limitations in several important competitors.

Beef domestic consumption for 2022 is forecast at 160,000 tons, a recovery from 2021 as Uruguay begins to return to normal as a majority of the population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and are returning to restaurants. The country has also loosened border restrictions to boost tourism, one of the country’s economic pillars

Beef production for 2022 is projected at 615,000 tons carcass weight equivalent (cwe), the second highest volume on record. Cattle slaughter is forecast at 2.4 million head, the highest volume in the last 16 years as a result of plentiful calf crops in recent years, producers’ investment in improving genetics and feeding, but most importantly, lower exports of feeder cattle in 2019 and 2020 which is now showing up in the current and future slaughter.

Market conditions are currently very positive for the Uruguayan cattle/beef sector, with strong foreign demand, high FOB prices, good cattle supplies and good returns throughout almost the entire value chain.