Although impacted by recent strike roadblocks in Brazil’s southern region, Brazilian chicken exporters maintained a positive pace in February and reduced the cumulative negative performance in 2015. The primary countries accountable for this, according to figures obtained by the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA) were South Africa, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and China.
These five markets together accumulated an increase of 26,400 metric tons in shipments during the second month of the year, to reach a total of 128,760 metric tons.
"Only to Saudi Arabia 58,200 tons were shipped in this month, 11 percent more compared to February 2014. This market is the largest importer of chicken meat from Brazil," said ABPA CEO Francisco Turra.
Among the other countries in the top 10 largest buyers of chicken meat from Brazil in February, China and the UAE imported similar volumes, 20,600 metric tons (up 28 percent) and 20,700 metric tons (up 20 percent), respectively.
"It is worth noting in this month, the performance of sales to South Korea with 11,800 metric tons, 198 percent higher than in the second month of last year," said ABPA Vice President of Poultry Ricardo Santin.
In total, considering whole chicken, cuts, salted and processed products, and sausages, 302,100 metric tons were exported in the month, which is 1.6 percent higher compared to February 2014. There was also monetary increase in income of 10.3 percent, with BRL1.458 billion. In this case, the income from foreign exchange, there was a fall of 6.7 percent, reaching US$518.1 million.
In the year-to-date accumulated amount, a decrease of 4.2 percent in shipped volumes during the first two months of 2015 was recorded, reaching 579,800 metric tons. The result generated foreign exchange earnings 10.6 percent lower than last year's total, with US$1.01 billion. However, the result in Reals was 2.4 percent higher, reaching BRL2.76 billion.
By product, cuts remained as the main product of the list, with 331,100 metric tons in the first two months, a 1.4 percent higher performance than the one recorded in the same period last year. In second place, whole products totaled 184,100 metric tons (down 10.2 percent). A total of 24,700 metric tons (down 2.1 percent) and 27,500 metric tons (down 16 percent) of processed and salted products were respectively exported. Finally, exports of sausages were 12,300 metric tons (down 21.4 percent).
When considering exports by region (excluding sausages), the Middle East is the main destination of shipments, with a total of 216,000 metric tons in the first two months of this year, a volume 0.3 percent lower than the same period of 2014. Secondly, Asia accounted for 165,800 metric tons of shipments (down 5.8 percent). Japan, ranked third, imported 72,200 metric tons (down 9.4 percent). To the European Union (the fifth largest importer) 61,400 metric tons (down 11.5 percent) were shipped. To the countries of the Americas 35,900 metric tons (up 4.6 percent) were exported. Finally, imports from the non-EU European countries, were of 15,500 metric tons (up 21.8 percent) and Pacific, 355 metric tons (down 2.1 percent).
