Brazil Takes Flight in Global Poultry Trade
Brazil’s chicken industry is closing in on record export levels as global demand rises again, led by strong shipments to South Africa and a gradual rebound in China.
Brazil’s chicken export sector is strutting confidently back toward its peak. New data from the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA) shows October shipments hitting 501,300 tons, an 8 percent increase from the same month last year. This marks the second-strongest month ever recorded for the industry, signaling momentum as the year approaches its final quarter.
Despite a slight dip earlier in the year, cumulative exports from January through October now total 4.378 million tons, virtually matching last year’s volumes. ABPA president Ricardo Santin described October as a turning point, noting that the month’s performance has “practically eliminated the difference” between this year and last year, prompting the organization to revise expectations upward for 2025.
Revenue, however, tells a more tempered story. October export income reached 865.4 million dollars, around 4 percent lower than the same period last year, while the year-to-date total of 8.03 billion dollars sits just under 2024’s figures. This reflects ongoing price adjustments in global markets even as demand strengthens.
The geography of demand is shifting in notable ways. South Africa led all buyers in October with imports soaring 126 percent year-on-year. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia also increased purchases, while Japan imported less. Analysts say all eyes are now on China, where demand is beginning to revive after a period of subdued buying. A continued rebound there could add further lift to Brazil’s export numbers in the closing months of the year.
Within Brazil, Paraná remains the top exporting state, followed by Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo, and Goiás. Each recorded growth, with Goiás posting the most dramatic increase at 44 percent.
With global demand redistributing and China showing signs of re-entering the market more aggressively, Brazil’s poultry sector appears poised to push into new record territory—steady on its feet, wings unfolding.