August 17, 2007

July the lowest month of the year for Brazil's beef exports

July saw the lowest month for Brazil's beef exports for the year due to tight steer supply and high livestock prices.

July's beef export of 97,474 tonnes swt was the lowest for the year due to a number of reasons.

More land being set aside for crop production such as that for soy meant less production for beef, with strong global demand pushing prices up further. Cold weather conditions have also affected pasture and forage supply.

The higher Brazilian real has also cut into profit margins, reducing the incentive to export.

Despite these factors, exports are up 22 percent for the first seven months of the year, as Russia continued to import huge volumes of beef.