March 29, 2022

More than 52 million pigs slaughtered in Brazil in 2021

52.97 million pigs were slaughtered in Brazil last year, representing an increase of 7.3% (+3.61 million head) compared to 2020, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

Each month saw positive year-on-year growth, with March having the largest increase (+475,090 head). Exports helped Brazil's pork industry, which faced a challenging situation with the increase in production costs.

In 2021, Santa Catalina maintained its position as the state with the highest pig slaughter, with 28.4% of the national slaughter, followed by the states of Paraná (20.3%) and Rio Grande do Sul (17.5%).

In the fourth quarter of 2021, 13.38 million head of pigs were slaughtered, an increase of 6.5% compared to the same period in 2020 and a decrease of 2.7% compared to the third quarter of 2021.

- IBGE (Brazil)