Brazil Beefs Up Beef Exports

Where’s the beef? Let’s do a reframe. If that question was “where’s the beef coming from,” the answer will be becoming Brazil with more global regularity.

Beef exports from Brazil are expected to reach record highs in both 2024 and 2025 amid strong demand from overseas buyers, a weakened local currency, and “challenges” expected from rival exporting countries. That’s according to an attaché report from the USDA office in Brazil: https://fas.usda.gov/data/brazil-livestock-and-products-annual-11

Brazil, the world’s largest beef exporter, will ship a carcass weight equivalent of 3.575 million metric tons of meat this year. The agency says that will rise to 3.6 million tons in 2025. Exports account for 30 percent of all beef production in the South American country.

“A relevant element that’s working in favor of the increased Brazilian beef production is that its main competitors, including the U.S., EU, and Argentina, are forecast to scale back beef production in 2024, opening up opportunities for Brazil,” USDA says. Slaughter is forecast to reach 48 million head in 2024 before dropping to 47.5 million head the following year.