Agribusiness exports reached US$ 10.23 billion in January this year, up 16.5% over the same month last year. According to the Secretariat for Trade and International Relations (SCRI) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), it is the first year that the value of exports in the sector exceeds US$ 10 billion in January. External agribusiness sales accounted for 44.4% of the total value exported by Brazil.
According to SCRI, the record value was due to the increase in average export prices (+10.5%) and the quantity shipped (+5.5%). The export products that most stood out in this first month of the year were corn, meat (beef, pork and chicken) and sugar.
Agribusiness imports reached US$ 1.54 billion in January, an increase of 38.3% compared to January 2022 (US$ 1.12 billion). The value does not include inputs used in agricultural production, such as fertilizers, pesticides, parts and equipment.
Corn – Corn, which is the main export product of the cereals, flours and preparations sector, was responsible for US$ 1.8 billion: an increase of 166.4% in comparison with the previous January. According to SCRI, the volume exported was also a record for the month of January, with 6.2 million tons.
Some factors influenced the result: the slow pace of the soybean harvest, which made transportation logistics for the cereal possible; the continuation of the conflict in Ukraine, which reduced the production of an important world corn supplier, and the demand from China, as of the authorization for commercialization in November last year.
Meat –External meat sales reached almost US$ 2 billion, also a record for the months of January. Beef corresponded to US$ 848 million and the exported volume was 182 thousand tons. China continues as the main importer of this protein, with acquisition of 57% of the export value (US$ 483 million). Other important markets were the United States, the European Union, Chile, Hong Kong and Egypt.
Chicken meat also had a favorable performance, with record volume and high average export price: US$ 839 million and 409 thousand tons. The main destinations were China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Pork meat totaled US$ 210 million in January this year, also a record value for the months of January. China bought more than half of that amount.
The strong Chinese demand for animal protein was determined by the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration period, which started at the end of January.
Sugar –External sugar sales totaled US$ 870 million, up 68%. The highlights were the following markets: Algeria, Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt and China.
Soy –The soy complex (grains, bran and oil) exported US$ 1.5 billion, down 26.6%. The sector was influenced by the low availability of soybeans due to the slow pace of the harvest, due to the volume of rain. Even so, the National Supply Company (Conab) estimates a record production of 152.9 million tons of the grain, in the last survey released this February.
The exported volume of soy in grains was 840 thousand tons (-66%). Of this total, China acquired 61% or 509 thousand tons. Russia, Thailand and Vietnam were also major importers of Brazilian soybeans.
Soybean meal added up to US$ 765 million exported and soy oil, US$ 267 million. Both record results for January.
Source: Government of Brazil
