From the Newsroom
São Paulo – The consumption of Brazilian chicken continues rising internationally. According to figures supplied by the Brazilian Poultry Exporters Association (Abef), export revenues due to whole chickens and chickens in parts totalled US$ 187.3 million in February. There was a 20.8% increase in foreign trade revenue when compared to January, and 40.3% in comparison to February 2003.
With regard to quantities, shipping totalled 184,000 tonnes of the product. There was an 18% growth in comparison to January, and 6.5% in comparison to February last year.
The accumulated result for the first two months of the year, shows that shipping totalled 349,500 tonnes of chicken at US$ 361 million, a 7.8% increase in quantities and 41% in revenues when compared to the first quarter of 2003.
The Abef pointed out two factors that contributed to increasing sales. In the first place, the average price per tonne of the product has risen from US$ 790, in the first two months of last year, to US$ 1,030 this year. This, according to the organization report, is due to the "effort associates are making to sell products with greater added value, through processed products, and nobler cuts."
Products
There was export growth in all chicken industry sectors. In February, 104,800 tonnes of chicken cuts were exported, a 14% increase in contrast to January, and 13% in comparison to February 2003. Revenues generated were US$ 120.4 million, 21% over the result for January, and 55% greater than that ed in February 2003.
In the case of whole chicken, the shipping provided revenues of US$ 66.9 million, 20% greater than in January this year and February 2003. A total of 79,700 tonnes were shipped, 20%growth when compared to January. In comparison to February last year, however, there was a 1.3% drop in the volume of whole chickens sold.
With regard to industrialized chicken, revenues ed in February were US$ 18.8 million, 73% over the result for the same month in 2003 and shipping totalled 8,000 tonnes, an 86% increase when compared to February last year.
Markets
Another factor that contributed to the foreign trade increase, according to the Abef, was "development of new markets and the increase of sales to non traditional regions." Export to these countries, classified as "others" in the organization report, answered to 20% of total shipping in the first two months of 2004. There was a 308% increase in quantities shipped in comparison to the same period last year.
Regarding the traditional destinations, the largest growth in the first two months was ed to Asia, a market that absorbed 88,300 tonnes of the Brazilian product, 18% above those ed in the same period in 2003.
The Middle East is still the main international market for Brazilian producers. Products shipped to the region totalled 112,800 tonnes of the product. There was, however, a 2.6% drop in sales with regard to the first two months of 2003. To Africa, sales totalled 19,300 tonnes, 1.2% more than that ed in the same period last year.
The largest drops were ed in export to Europe (33,000 tonnes, 14.2% less than in the same period in 2003) "due to the 75% tariff on salted chicken breasts" and to Russia, due to the import quota system imposed by that country (10,000 tonnes were shipped, 80% less than was ed in the first two months of last year).
