Brazil’s beef producers aim to boost export volumes by six per cent next year as they negotiate access to new markets in Asia and North America, industry group Abiec said recently. Abiec estimated that Brazil, the world’s biggest beef supplier, could export 2.141 million tonnes next year, worth US$8.789 billion, up from a record 2.020 million tonnes this year, worth US$8.533 billion. Brazil is negotiating agreements to sell fresh beef to Canada, Japan, South Korea and Mexico, Abiec officials said. Brazil now exports only processed beef products to Canada. Together those countries import some 1.3 million tonnes of fresh beef annually, or about 12.5 per cent of the international market.
Abiec said Brazilian companies could provide an estimated 260,000 tonnes per year to the four countries, representing potential revenues of US$1.5 billion. Still, China will continue to represent the bulk of Brazil’s beef exports after accounting for an estimated 42.2 per cent of exports between January and November of this year, according to Abiec. Brazil currently has 35 beef plants permitted to sell products to China and is looking to get approval for another 26 units in the short term, Antônio Camardelli, the head of Abiec, said.
In 2020, Brazil made good on its year-old industry promise to export more beef, a sign that supplies held up despite the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting production in countries which compete to supply global markets. Camardelli said “almost no” Brazilian beef plants had to completely stop production amid the pandemic.