MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguayan meat exports to pierce US$2bn ceiling this year

Paraguay exports 70% of the beef it produces

According to a study by the Paraguayan Meat Chamber (CPC), released on Wednesday in Asunción, the South American country is projected to surpass the US$ 2 billion export ceiling for the first time by the end of 2025. The survey foresaw a total of US$2.169 billion worth of outbound trade.

These figures cement the industry's role within Paraguay country's economic dynamics, CPC President Randy Ross Wiebe said.

Additioonally, CPC General Manager Daniel Burt pointed out that the trend had already been anticipated, since as of October this year, beef exports reached US$1.869 billion, already exceeding 2024's total of US$1.839 billion. “This performance confirms not only the strength of the sector, but also the ability of Paraguayan producers to sustain growing volumes in a global market characterized by ever-increasing demands,” he added.

“This achievement is the result of years of public-private coordination, where health policies, control systems, market opening, investment in productive infrastructure, and the sector's commitment converged in a single direction: to increase the competitiveness of Paraguayan beef,” Ross Wiebe further noted.

Estimates from the meat sector show that in 2025 Paraguay will reach historic levels in both export volume and value. On the one hand, meat shipments grew to one of the highest ever recorded, confirming the country's productive strength. On the other hand, the average price paid by international markets also rose, resulting in larger revenues for Paraguayan producers.

“Exports strengthened simultaneously in terms of quantity and price, a rare combination that demonstrates the sector's ability to compete, differentiate itself, and gain ground in increasingly demanding markets,” Burt emphasized.

Last year, Paraguay's beef exports went up 18% from 2023 thanks to increased volumes and slightly improved prices, the National Service of Animal Health and Quality (Senacsa) reported.

The main destinations in 2024 were Chile, Taiwan, Brazil, Israel, United States, Russia, Canada, Kuwait, Sierra Leone, and Italy.

The local meat complex now has 71 destinations, and Paraguay exports 70% of the beef it produces, the CPC pointed out.