Uruguay: Agricultural Forecasts

Global MEAT production is expected  to remain virtually unchanged from 2024 at $61.6 million, according to the US agency . However, production in   the US and the EU is set to decline, which could be good news for Uruguay, although growing cattle herds in Brazil, Australia and India will help even out the balance. Learn more.

Meanwhile, at the regional level, the northern neighbour is expected to achieve a record meat production of 11.9 million tonnes, accompanied by a 3% increase in exports to a total of 3.8 million tonnes.

Growing demand for exports from Chile, the United States and the Philippines could thus push sales to Brazil to record levels. Argentina, for its part, expects a 4% reduction in slaughter, which would lead to a 3% decline in cattle production.

Global beef exports are expected to increase by 1% to reach 13.1 million tonnes. In this context, Uruguay's exports are expected to increase by 2.5% compared to 2024 to reach 485 thousand tonnes.

What will happen to the grain?

As for the soybean and corn farming sector, the news is not so good at the national level. Thus, the US agency expects “a slight reduction in soybean planting area,” which will lead to a total harvest of 3.1 million tons next season, which is “slightly below the record harvest” of the 2024/25 season.

While operators are expecting a harvest of 3.4-3.5 million tons, the USDA is forecasting millions of tons. Meanwhile, in its latest study, it increased the current harvest area to 1.345 million hectares, with the yield, also adjusted, coming in at 2,453 kg per hectare.

For their part, they also assure that Uruguay's supplies will depend largely on external demand. "From now on, the planting area in the 2025/26 season will ultimately depend on market signals during harvest and in the months preceding planting," the report says.