Brazil: chicken exports increasing

Over the first 6 months of 2008, Brazil exported 1.65 mln t of chicken meat, which is an increase of 13.5% compared to 2007 figures, reports the German agricultural statistics organisation, ZMP.

Of the exported chicken, 60% were in a frozen form, of which 206,000 t of frozen cuts were exported to Hong Kong, demonstrating a 25% increase on 2007, and exports of cuts to Japan increased by around a quarter to approx. 190,000 t.

Exports of frozen whole birds to Venezuela increased by more than 85% to 136,000 t. Interestingly, Venezuela has now overtaken Saudi Arabia as Brazil’s leading importer of frozen whole birds. Altogether, almost 130,000 t were exported to Saudi Arabia, and 80,000 t to the UAE.

ZMP also reports that trade with European countries showed a decline, although these figures did not include salted meats, which would have shown increased numbers.