September 25, 2007

Firm projects 10% rise in Brazil 2008 chicken output to 10.8mt

Brazil's chicken meat production is seen to rise 10 percent to reach 10.8 million tonnes in 2008, data from country's agricultural supply company Conab showed on September 21, 2007.

The country's 2008 chicken exports are projected at 3.4 million tonnes while domestic chicken meat consumption is expected to reach 74 million tonnes. The figure equals some 38 kilogrammes of chicken meat consumption per capita for the year, up 6 percent on-year.

Conab projected Brazil's 2007 chicken output at about 9.821 million tonnes, up from 9.354 million tonnes produced in 2006. The country's exports are unlikely to surpass the three million tonnes mark.

Brazil has been constantly increasing its chicken output in the last few years but had slowed down in 2006 due to bird flu outbreaks in neighbouring countries.