December 27, 2012

Brazil sees decline in poultry export volumes and value

Brazil's poultry exports reached 312,000 tonness and US$653.5 million in November, down 13% and 14.7%, respectively, from the same month of 2011, according to the country's poultry processors and exporters association, Ubabef.

From January through November, exports totalled 3.578 million tonnes, down 0.3% by volume from 2011. Revenue during that period reached US$6.987 billion.

The decrease for November may not truly indicate a drop in sales performance for Brazil's poultry sector, Ubabef said. Exports in November 2011 had been higher than the average from previous years, so a slight drop in sales this November is more in line with the pre-2011 norm. November sales were also in line with those of the month prior.

Sales growth of more than 10% for markets like China, Egypt, Turkey, Yemen and the UAE through 11 months of this year offers the most promising news for Brazilian poultry in 2012, in that demand from these new export markets all grew by double-digits.

The Middle East was the main export region for Brazilian poultry for January through November, totalling 1.2 million tonnes and US$2.363 billion, down 1.6% and 2.7%, respectively, from the same period in 2011.

Through the first 11 months of 2012, the main poultry products sold abroad were chicken cuts, followed by whole chickens and industrialized products.