Paraguay: Higher slaughter rates will not affect livestock numbers

Randy Ross, president of the Paraguayan Chamber of Meat (CPC), maintains that the increase in slaughter will not affect the herd, as these are fattened animals . "We slaughter approximately 2,200,000 animals per year. Considering the herd we have nationwide and the slaughter volumes in the first few months, this could mean we'll have fewer animals by the end of the year," he told La Nación/Nación Media.

However, if more cattle are slaughtered than imported, a decline may occur, as has happened over the past three years due to drought. "We have a slight decline in livestock numbers, but this is largely due to the slaughter of cows and heifers, as well as people stopping farming or emptying their fields because they no longer have water," he said.

According to him, although the herd population has been stagnant for several years, producers typically do not sell their animals during good weather conditions. Therefore, the CPC strives to continue opening more markets to offer better prices and ensure favorable weather conditions for further production growth.

Ross predicted that 2025 will be a good year for production areas, and the drought won't have a significant impact. "Many areas have received a lot of rain, and we have very attractive prices, which makes meat production attractive," he said, adding that it largely depends on the weather for feed and water availability. For his part, Daniel Prieto, president of the Paraguayan Rural Association (ARP), emphasized that cattle slaughter has reached record levels so far this year, but a strategy to preserve cows to increase herd numbers has not yet been considered, as the drought is not conducive to this. "We believe that now that the vaccination period is over , we will see the impact on stock reduction, but this could lead to a long-term product shortage for the industry," he told LN/NM.

He added that a plan or strategy for increasing livestock numbers is needed, but for this to happen, the climate must normalize. "The prolonged drought in the Chaco forced many producers to sell their livestock, and now the slaughter factor will also have an impact. I think there will be a slight decline, and we'll close at around 13.2 million, but we'll have the exact figures in 20 days," he explained.

Prieto emphasized that cattle prices have improved (dropping to $ 3.20 per kilogram), but this is a temporary situation, as it remains to be seen whether they will become sustainable or predictable. "Prices are good today, but producers have faced significant price pressures, and investment has virtually ceased," he said. Prices for male bulls range from $3.70 to $3.90.

The goal is to restore predictability in the livestock sector so that investment can be planned. "Even if there's no good price today, tomorrow we'll wake up to a terrible drop, and that will really slow things down," the ARP representative added.

On the other hand, he emphasized that public-private partnerships will benefit industrial enterprises, cattle ranchers, and the government by creating the Paraguayan Meat Institute (IPC), which will help develop public policies that benefit the entire chain. "High production at these prices is not a bad thing. We in the primary sector will continue to work on efficiency, but we need predictability to work peacefully," he added.

Marcelo González, head of the Department of the Deputy Minister of Livestock, stated that in livestock farming, as in any other business, it is important to ensure a constant supply of goods and achieve a certain production volume. "The recovery rate is an indicator of efficiency; the pace of marketing maintains business continuity," he said.

He noted that neighboring countries have higher slaughter rates than Paraguay, indicating that livestock farmers are able to replenish their herds through reproductive means to maximize the efficiency of investments in pastures, watering troughs, pens, and other livestock facilities.

In this sense, the high slaughter rate is a positive factor, as it allows for the implementation of modern livestock farming methods, which allows for fattening livestock and, therefore, increasing sales and production from a technical standpoint. "The sector is responding to this indicator by implementing methods to improve weight gain, soil quality, and pasture quality," he emphasized.

As a government , we pursue a policy of nurturing the value chain and ensuring its harmony. We are working to achieve price stability to enable investment in productive strategies. The goal is also to diversify the sector by incorporating agricultural fertilizers into the soil so that it can yield results when cultivated, and certain crops can be used to improve livestock performance. "Today, we have areas where livestock farming coexists with agricultural systems, generating income and providing certain resources for the winter, etc.," he said.

According to the National Animal Health and Quality Service (Senacsa), 13,413,512 cattle and buffalo were vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease in 2024 out of an existing population of 13,447,289 animals. Similarly, the total slaughter volume as of February was 421,724 heads, an increase of 29.6% compared to the same period last year, when 325,344 heads were slaughtered, 96,380 heads more than the five-year high.