In May, sector foreign sales reached US$ 16.78 billion in May: 11.2% higher than the same month in 2022. Never have exports exceeded US$16 billion in a single month, considering the entire historical series starting in 1997. With the record, the participation of agribusiness in total Brazilian exports reached 50.8%.
According to an analysis by the Department of Trade and International Relations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (SCRI/Mapa), the excellent Brazilian grain harvest, exceeding 315 million tons, directly influenced this result. The quantum index of agribusiness exports in May grew 27.6% and, even in the face of the reduction in international prices, enabled the generation of a new record in agribusiness exports.
SoySales of soybeans in grain represented another record, with US$ 8.13 billion exported. The volume, in turn, was the second best in the entire historical series, 15.60 million tons shipped, only surpassed by the April 2021 volume (16.11 million tons). China was the main destination (about 60% of the total).
Foreign sales of soybean meal also set a record, this time in value and volume exported, US$ 1.43 billion (+32.0%) and 2.71 million tons (+38.4%) respectively.
MeatBeef exports decreased to US$ 952 million (-11.8%), due to the reduction in the average export price. On the other hand, there was a record in volume: 191 thousand tons
, influenced by Chinese demand after the effects of the temporary suspension of sales to the country. China is the biggest importer of beef from Brazil, with 61.3% of the total value exported.
Despite the reduction in value, US$ 854 million (-3.5%), chicken meat exports were record in quantity: 423 thousand tons. The increase in the amount exported occurred even after the registration of the first confirmed cases of Avian Influenza in Brazil. In this scenario, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock declared a zoo-sanitary emergency in the country, and has adopted preventive measures in order to prevent the virus from reaching commercial farms.
Sugar
The sugar and alcohol sector showed a strong increase in export value, from US$ 665 million in May 2022 to US$ 1.21 billion in May 2023 (+81.2%). Sugar is the main product exported by the sector, with a record value of US$ 1.14 billion exported (+88.5%).
Accumulated for the year (January to May)
Brazilian agribusiness exports, in the first five months of this year, totaled US$ 67.3 billion, which represents a growth of 5.8% compared to the same period in 2022, when sales were US$ 64 billion. Agribusiness represented almost half of Brazil’s total foreign sales, with a share of 49.5%.
Among the highlights that most contributed to the favorable performance are the records for soy in grain, soy bran, chicken and pork in value and quantity; record for corn and sugar in value; cellulose and soybean oil, records in quantity.
Soy in grain accounted for 81.2% of the value shipped by the soy complex sector, reaching a historic value of US$ 26.53 billion, also with a record in volumes: 49 million tons.
In 2023, Brazil should become the largest exporter of soybean meal in the world. The product recorded a record in value (US$ 4.76 billion) and quantum (8.84 million tons).
Foreign corn sales totaled US$ 3.09 billion, a record value for the historical series. According to SCRI ‘s analysis , the current corn harvest predicted by Conab in the record amount of 125.72 million tons, still under the effects of the first cereal harvest, favors the increase in foreign sales. 10.6 million tons of grain were shipped.
Sugar sales also registered a record in value, reaching US$ 3.85 billion. 8.4 million tons of the product were sold.
Pulp was responsible for 8.17 million tons, a record amount for the period. Soybean oil also had a record in terms of volume, with 1.19 million tons.
Chicken meat represented records of US$ 4.21 billion and 2.13 million tons, and pork exports were US$ 1.14 billion and 473 thousand tons.