Rio de Janeiro – The record-high grain crop in 2017 contributed to production cost reduction in the livestock sector compared with 2016. Nevertheless, in the year, Brazil’s cattle herd shrank, and milk output went down. On the other hand, there was a significant hike in the number of layer hens and poultry.
The data comes from the Municipal Livestock Production 2017 (PPM, in the Portuguese acronym), shown this Thursday (27) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The survey collects data on the livestock sector, production of animal-based foods and production value, with the latter ending 2017 declining 0.4% in comparison to 2016.
The data shows that, while the total number of birds reached 1.4 billion, up 6% over 2016 – a record high since record-keeping began in 1974 –, the year ended at 214.9 million head of cattle, down 1.5% in the same comparison. Brazil has the world’s second largest herd and is the world’s largest beef exporter.
Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
