Brazil: Cattle, pig and chicken slaughter rises in Q4 2024

According to preliminary data from the quarterly livestock surveys released on Tuesday (11) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the fourth quarter of 2024 recorded an increase in the slaughter of cattle , pigs and chickens. Compared to the same period in 2023, cattle slaughter increased by 3.5%, pig slaughter increased by 0.6% and chicken slaughter increased by 5.3%.

However, compared to the 3rd quarter of 2024, the slaughter of cattle decreased by 8.6%, pigs by 4.8%, and chickens by 0.7%.

MEAT production

In Q4 2024 the following were scored:

• Cattle: 9.48 million heads
• Pigs: 14.23 million heads
• Chickens: 1.61 billion birds

The total volume of meat produced during this period was:

• 2.48 million tons of beef carcasses (+1.8% compared to Q4 2023; -9.9% compared to Q3 2024)
• 1.31 million tons of pork carcasses (+0.6% compared to Q4 2023; -6.8% compared to Q3 2024)
• 3.35 million tons of chicken meat (+5.1% compared to Q4 2023; -3.4% compared to Q3 2024)

MILK and skin

The total volume of raw milk purchased by enterprises subject to sanitary supervision during the reporting period amounted to 6.75 billion liters, which is 4.1% more year-on-year and 7.3% more compared to the third quarter of 2024.

Tanneries processing at least 5,000 whole pieces of raw bovine hide per year reported receipt of 9.85 million units in the fourth quarter of 2024, up 10.1% from the same period in 2023 but down 6.6% from the previous quarter.

Chicken eggs

In the fourth quarter of 2024, the national egg production reached 1.19 billion dozen, up 11.0% year-on-year but down slightly by 0.8% from the previous quarter.

IBGE Research

IBGE periodically conducts statistical surveys on the agricultural situation, including the quarterly slaughter survey, the quarterly milk production survey, the quarterly leather production survey and the chicken egg production survey.

Since 2018, the first results have been published approximately one month before the full data, which will be available on 18 March 2025 in the IBGE Indicators: Livestock Production Statistics bulletin.