July 24, 2009
Brazil beef price and exports on a decline
Beef prices in Brazil are 20-percent lower than a year ago, and export volumes in the first half of 2009 have also suffered a 13 percent year-on-year decline.
In the first half of this year, Brazil exported 454,800 tonnes of beef, compared with 522,300 tonnes in the same period of 2008 and 698,000 tonnes in the first half of 2007.
A rising number of farmers are also switching to sugarcane for the rapidly expanding biofuels industry.
Russia remains as the largest market, buying 161,000 tonnes, but that was more than 40,000 tonnes less than last year, and 75,000 tonnes less than in 2007.
Exports to the EU are severely restricted, as only beef from certified farms are allowed to ship the meat to the bloc. In the first half of 2009, the EU imported just over 16,000 tonnes, compared with 25,000 tonnes in the same period of 2008 and 109,700 tonnes in 2007.
