In the first four months of this year, Brazilian agribusiness exports reached a record US$ 50.6 billion, which represents a growth of 4.3% compared to the same period in 2022, when sales were US$ 48, 53 billion.
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According to the analysis by the Department of Commerce and International Relations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (SCRI/Mapa), the expansion was due to the increase in the quantity exported (+2.3%), as well as the price index of the products (+1.9%).
The increase in the exported quantity of corn (+6.05 million tons) and soybeans (+1.05 million tons) was what most contributed to the expansion in the quantum index.
Agribusiness represented almost half of Brazil's total foreign sales in 2023, with a 49% share. In the previous year, the share of agribusiness in the Brazilian export basket was 47.7%. Total exports grew by 1.6%, as a result of the growth in agribusiness, since the other sectors fell by 0.8% in the period.
Exports of the soy complex (grain, bran and oil), chicken and pork, corn, cellulose and ethanol were all-time highs in the four-month period.
Brazilian agribusiness exports reached US$ 14.7 billion in April this year. The main records in the month were for soybeans, chicken and pork.
The share of agribusiness in total Brazilian exports rose to 53.9% in April. Other products exported by Brazil recorded exports of US$ 12.61 billion (-10.7%).
Soy in grain registered exports of 14.34 million tons in April (+25.0%). The 2022/2023 harvest, with a forecast production of 154.81 million tons (+23.3%), favorably impacts this result.
According to SCRI's analysis, this is one of the largest volumes ever exported by Brazil, only exceeded three times in the entire historical series (April 2020, with 14.85 million tons; April 2021, with 16 .11 million tons and May 2022, which had 14.97 million).
Average export prices, however, fell from US$ 589.03 per ton in April/2022 to US$ 540.30 per ton in April/2023 (-8.3%).
The fall in prices reflects the prospects for oilseed supply in this harvest, which has the highest level of world production in history, with good prospects for production in the United States, China, India and a historic record in Brazil, even with the sharp drop in crop in Argentina.
With the expressive volume exported, the value reached US$ 7.75 billion (+14.6%), a new monthly record for soy grain exports. China is Brazil's main importer, acquiring 70% of the oilseed's export volume.
Chicken and pork meat - Despite the monthly reduction in beef exports in April, with repercussions for the entire animal protein sector, Brazilian exports of beef, pork and chicken should see important gains throughout 2023.
According to SCRI, despite the drop in foreign sales of beef, chicken meat exports rose from US$ 801.38 million in April/2022 to US$ 826.63 million in April/2023 (+3.2%) , with a 4.7% increase in the volume exported and a 1.5% decrease in the average export price.
China was the country responsible for the increase in foreign sales of chicken meat, with a 62.7% increase in the volume imported from Brazil.
There was also an increase in sales of pork meat, with shipments of US$ 249.40 million (+30.5%), with an increase in the quantity exported (+16.4%) and the average export price (+12.1% ).
China remains the largest importer of Brazilian pork, with purchases of US$ 86.15 million.
Chicken and pork meat produced in Brazil benefit from supply limitations in Asia due to local sanitary problems (mainly African Swine Fever and Avian Influenza). ■