Brazil’s chicken meat prices surge as demand rises

BRAZIL – The cost of chicken meat in Brazil has recently increased as both local and global demand remained high, according to a report from Cepea.

Limited supply in the domestic market, combined with the seasonal rise in consumption, contributed to the upward price trend in several regions.

Exports also reached record levels, with data from Secex indicating that Brazil shipped an average of 28,700 tons of chicken meat per day during the first five production days of February.

This figure represents a 51.9% increase from January and a 48% jump compared to the same period last year.

According to Secex, this is the highest daily export volume recorded since the agency began tracking shipments in 1997.

The increase in early 2025 follows a record-breaking year for Brazil’s poultry sector, which exported 5.294 million metric tons (MT) of chicken meat in 2024.

This marked a 3% rise from the 5.130 million MT shipped in 2023, as reported by the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA).

Revenue from poultry exports totaled US$9.928 billion in 2024, reflecting a 1.3% increase from the previous year.

On average, monthly exports exceeded 440,000 MT, and industry forecasts suggest that 2025 could see even greater volumes, potentially boosting earnings for exporters.

Key Export Destinations

China, the United Arab Emirates, and Japan remained the top buyers of Brazilian chicken meat, maintaining strong demand throughout the year.

Mexico has strengthened its position as a significant importer, ranking among the top 10 export destinations.

In 2024, Mexico purchased 212,500 MT of Brazilian chicken meat, an increase of 22.6% from the previous year, making it the eighth-largest importer.

Mixed Performance in Eggs and Poultry Genetics

While chicken meat exports surged, Brazil’s egg exports declined in 2024, dropping by 27.3% to 18,469 MT.

Chile became the leading importer of Brazilian eggs, receiving 6,871 MT, a 141.4% increase from the previous year.

The poultry genetics sector recorded modest growth, with exports of one-day-old chicks and fertile eggs reaching 27,229 MT, a 2.8% rise from 2023.

Mexico remained the top buyer of poultry genetics, importing 9,378 MT, although this was a 30.6% decrease compared to the previous year.

Venezuela and Paraguay also imported significant volumes, with 3,909 MT and 2,634 MT, respectively.

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