MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay beef export up 11,5% in January; Brazil to remain leader in poultry and beef global sales

China remained the main market for Uruguayan beef; there was an important surge in sales to Israel and the EU

During the first month of the year, Uruguay exported 52.935 tons of beef, an 11,5% increase over the same period in 2023. However the overall income for the shipments was up 7.9%, and this was because export prices on average were down 3.3%.

Although there has been a 15.7% decrease compared to last year, China remained the primary market for beef exports in January, accounting for 39%. Sales to Israel constituted 2%, and to the European Union 12%. Both Israel and the European Union significantly increased their demand this January 2024, with Israel up by 83.4% and the European Union by 47.9%.

In related news Brazil remains the world's leading exporter of proteins and the most dynamic looking into the future, according to the US Agriculture Department. A report shows that in ten years, global meat exports by the world’s top traders should add up to some 42.5 million tons, an increase of 21% over 2023 estimates of over 35 million tons.

Out of this total, Brazil will account for approximately 30% – or nearly 13 million tons, the equivalent of 40% of the world’s poultry meat, 28% of beef, and 18% of pork. Brazil will maintain its leadership position in poultry and beef and rank third in pork, behind only the United States and the European Union.

It’s worth noting that the projected 21% increase in global exports of the three types of protein implies an additional 7.5 million tons. According to USDA forecasts, Brazilian meats will represent 50% of this additional amount (about 3.8 million tons more).