PorkproductioninBrazilevolvedamiddifficulties
in2016,stronglysupportedbyrisingexports
Makingstrides ina
periodof
turbulence
A
turbulent year did not pre-
vent swine breeding from
making strides. With prices
inflated by a huge increase in
corn prices, main component
in animal feed, particularly in the first half
of the year, andwith reflections of the eco-
nomic crisis on domestic demand, in 2016
the sector was rescued by exports, which
rose considerably, about 30% in terms of
volume. In light of this, the Brazilian Asso-
ciation of Animal Protein (ABPA) anticipat-
ed in early December that pork produc-
tion in Brazil would register a 2.4-percent
increase over the entire year.
It was a rather difficult year, especial-
ly because of the question of corn, and
the pig farmers were unable to pass the
cost on to consumers, although not en-
tirely bad, observed Nilo de Sá, executive
director of the Brazilian Association of Pig
Farmers (ABCS), in the Brazilian Poultry
and Hogs Yearbook 2016, by Editora Gaze-
ta. The industry also experienced difficul-
ties passing costs on to final consumers,
but reached some kind of balance with
the good performance of exports, said Rui
Vargas, vice-president of ABPA’s pig divi-
sion. “The year bore the mark of under-
capitalization and financial crunches of
the farmers”, completed Valdecir Folador,
president of the Rio Grande do Sul Associ-
ation of Pig Breeders (Acsurs).
Pig farmers endured losses, resulting
PERFIL
Profile
Númerosdasuinocultura
brasileira/2015
Abates(milhõesdeanimais)
39,3
PIB(R$bilhões)
62,57
Cadeiaprodutiva(R$bilhões)
149,86
Empregos(milhãodepessoas)
1,026
Fonte:MapeamentodaSuinoculturaBrasileira–ABCS/Sebrae/Markestrat.
HOGS
Sílvio Ávila
96
