December 6, 2011

Brazil's 2011 chicken exports will likely to gather a record US$8.2 billion, up 21% from last year, the Brazilian Poultry Raising Union, or Ubabef, said Monday (Dec 5).

The world's top poultry exporter is expected to ship out 3.9 million tonnes of chicken this year, an increase of 2.7% from 2010 and another all-time high, Ubabef said in a press release.

"The quality of Brazilian chicken and the excellence of our sanitary status allowed the country's exports to perform well," Ubabef's executive president, Francisco Turra, said. He noted that Russia's suspension of some meat imports and a labour strike at the Brazilian port of Itajai limited chicken exports this year, adding that economic trouble in developed markets could temper growth in 2012.

"Our expectation is that chicken exports shouldn't see big jumps next year, rather maintaining a level of growth similar to that registered in 2011," Turra said.

This year through November, Brazil's chicken exports totalled 3.59 million tonnes, up 2.5% from the first 11 months of 2010. Export revenue rose 21% to US$7.51 billion.