Pork exports reached 91,400 tons in March

The figure is 16.3% lower than the figure recorded in the same month of 2021 (the month with the second best performance in history), 109.2 thousand tons.

Surveys conducted by the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA) show that pork exports (including all products, between natural and processed) reached 91.4 thousand tons in March. The figure is 16.3% lower than the figure recorded in the same month of 2021 (the month with the second best performance in history), 109.2 thousand tons.

In revenue, pork sales came in at $190.3 million in the third month of this year, which is 27.3% lower than the $261.7 million recorded in March 2021.

In the quarter, pork shipments reached 237,500 tons, 6.3% lower than exports of 253,500 tons in the same period last year. In revenue, the reported balance was $498.5 million, a 16.1% lower performance than that reported in the first three months of 2021, which was $594 million.

Pork sales in March made a recovery, at levels close to the average for the first half of 2021. A comparison with March of last year, which recorded the second best performance in the sector’s history, may look negative. However, when compared to previous months, the data indicates an improvement in export levels, which has contributed to limiting the effects of the strong crisis resulting from historical production costs,” assesses ABPA President, Ricardo Santin.

Among the export destinations in March, China followed as the main importer, with 34.1 thousand tons (-41.8%), followed by Hong Kong, 9.7 thousand tons (-44.2%), and the Philippines, with 6.8 thousand tons (+255.2%). Singapore 5.2 thousand tons (+36.4%) and Argentina 5 thousand tons (+71.5%).

China should continue to buy Brazilian pork in the coming months. The expected improvement in the COVID situation there and the corresponding easing of restrictions on the movement of people will certainly increase the demand for imported pork in general, which is mostly used as a raw material for restaurants and by local processors. The difficult labor situation in countries competing with Brazil should also allow the sector to increase its volumes in the short and medium term”, analyzes the Director of Markets at ABPA, Luis Roy.