Agribusiness exports reached US$ 10.23 billion in January this year, an increase of 16.5% compared to the same month last year. According to the Secretariat for Commerce and International Relations (SCRI) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), it is the first year in which exports exceed US$ 10 billion for such a month. With this figure, 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 stood out most in the year’s first month were corn, meat (beef, pork, and chicken), and sugar.
Agribusiness imports cost US$ 1.54 billion in January this year, 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, the main export product of the cereals, meals, and preparations sector, generated US$ 1.8 billion: an increase of 166.4% compared to the previous January. According to SCRI, the volume exported was also a record for January, with 6.2 million tonnes.
Some factors influenced this outcome: the slow pace of the soybean harvest, which allowed for transportation logistics for the cereal; the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which reduced the output in a vital world corn supplier; and demand from China, which increased with the trade authorization granted last November.
Meat exports reached almost US$ 2 billion, also a record for January. Beef sales accounted for US$ 848 million, and the exported volume was 182 thousand tonnes. China continues as the leading importer of this protein, acquiring 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 good 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.
According to SCRI, the supply of chicken meat in the world was affected by the incidence of avian flu in large producing regions. Such a fact made possible the substantial increase in the quantity exported by Brazil and influenced the build-up of the international price of the protein.
Pork meat totaled US$ 210 million in January this year, a record value for January. China bought more than half of that amount.
The Chinese Lunar New Year celebration solidified the Chinese demand for animal protein, which started at the end of January.
Foreign sugar sales totaled US$ 870 million, up 68%. The highlights were the following markets: Algeria, Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt, and China.
The soy complex (grains, meal, and oil) exported US$ 1.5 billion, down 26.6%. The low availability of soybeans influenced the sector due to the slow pace of the harvest due to the incidence of rain. According to a February report, the National Supply Company (Conab) estimated record production of 152.9 million tonnes of the oilseed.
The exported volume of soybeans was 840 thousand tonnes (-66%). Of this total, China acquired 61% or 509 thousand tonnes. Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam were also major importers of Brazilian soybeans.
Soymeal added up to US$ 765 million sold, and soy oil to US$ 267 million—both record results for January.
