The Brazilian dining table is still themain
destination for chicken meat produced in
the Country. Our national poultry farms, in
terms of volume, offered a record of 13.146
million tons of chicken meat in 2015, up
3.58% from the amount produced the year
before, according to sources from the Bra-
zilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA).
With this result, Brazil became the second
biggest global producer of chicken meat,
taking over the position that belonged to
China, coming only after the United States.
In 2015, of the total production, 8.846
million tons, or 67.3%, were destined for
DIFFICULTIES
In early 2016, ABPA officials expected corn prices to go down with the harvest of the sum-
mer crop and in light of the likely decreases in exports of the cereal. However, the scenario of
the first half of the year pointed to a continuity of the economic crisis, with business decelera-
tion, unemployment and factories shutting down.
Soaring unemployment also interfered with the consumption levels of the population. Be-
sides these problems, contrary to what one would expect, the sector of animal protein wit-
nessed the price of corn exceeding the mark of R$ 60 a sack. The pressure decreased with the
arrival of the winter corn crop and with a reduction in international prices, but then soybean be-
gan to exert pressure over production costs and over the competitiveness of poultry products.
In light of this Picture, the industries associated with the ABPA reduced the number of con-
fined young chickens. Parting from this reality, in September 2016, the association began to
project the annual production at 13 million tons of chicken meat, meaning a reduction of 4%
from the 13.5 million tons projected for 2016.
In 2015, consumption
of chickenmeat in
the domesticmarket
amounted to 8.846
million tons, boosting
per capita consumption
to 43.25 kilograms
No shortage of
meat
chicken
the domestic market, and 4.3 million tons,
or 32.7%, were shipped abroad. Per capita
consumption achieved an average of 43.25
kilograms, up 1.1% from 2014. The highest
average, 47.38 kilograms of chicken meat
per person a year was ascertained back in
2011. Since 2005, chicken meat is the most
consumed by Brazilian people a year. Before
this year, beef was the most consumedmeat.
Despite the economic crisis, domes-
tic sales suffered no alterations, and de-
mand was adjusted in 2015, says vice-pres-
ident of ABPA’s bird department, Ricardo
Santin. “The producing and exporting sec-
tor of chicken meat has experienced a good
moment throughout 2015”, he emphasizes.
The high price of beef at the supermarket
shelves was one of the factors that contrib-
uted towards strengthening the leadership
of chicken meat as the most consumed by
Brazilian people. The record exports of
chicken meat, upwards of 4.3 million tons,
were driven by the much appreciated dollar
against the Brazilian currency and because
of avian flu outbreaks in the United States.
According to the Center for Applied
Studies on Advanced Economics (Cepea), of
the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture
(Esalq), linked to the University of São Paulo
(USP), during 2015, average prices fetched
were higher than in the previous year, in
nominal terms. Nonetheless, the appreci-
ation of the dollar pushed up considerably
the production costs, especially because of
the soaring prices of animal feed. In the first
half of 2015, falling prices predominated
both at producer and wholesale level, stem-
ming from supplies outstripping demand.
In the opinion of researcher Dirceu João
Duarte Talamini, from Embrapa Pork and
Poultry, in Concórdia (SC), the concept of
healthy food, the variety of cuts and pre-pre-
pared products are responsible for turning
chicken meat greatly attractive. He also has
it that the trajectory of soaring supply and
consumption suffered no changes in the
first half of 2016, in spite of the economic
downturn and the higher production costs.
In his words, industries and producers re-
duced their profit margins in order not to
pass on to the final consumers the higher
production costs.
Inor Ag. Assmann
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