Brazil cattle passing through feedlots at steady pace in 2023 - source
Processing volume could reach 7 million head, source says
29 November 2023
2 minute read
By: The number of cattle slaughtered in Brazil after spending 90 days in feedlots will reach an estimated 7.030 million head in 2023, a survey of Brazil's cattle market by Dutch nutrition company DSM Firmenich showed on Monday, according to Reuters.
The projection represents virtual stability from 2022's 7.048 million head.
Still, over the years, the number has been growing as Brazilian ranchers have sought more efficient ways to raise and finish livestock, DSM executives said at a press conference presentation.
Cattle finished after passing through feedlots already represents around 25% of total animals finished in Brazil, up from between 8% and 10% in recent years, DSM executives said.
In 2015, Brazilian cattle passing through feedlots totaled 4.75 million head, according to DSM calculations. The number fell in the following year to 3.75 million head, but rose steadily through 2022, DSM said.
Brazil, the world's biggest beef exporter and the second biggest producer after the United States, has 234.4 million head of cattle, according to the Brazilian government's census bureau IBGE.
The country boasts the world's largest commercial cattle herd and the second biggest overall herd, behind India, DSM said.
In the third quarter, Brazil slaughtered 8.85 million head of cattle, up 11.1%, IBGE data shows.
The number of Brazilian cattle slaughtered in 2022 totaled 29.8 million head in 2022, up 7.5% from the previous year, after two consecutive annual drops, IBGE said.
