Brazil cattle price gap between males and females widens sharply
Fed cattle outpaces cow values as supply tightens
15 May 2026
1 minute read
By: The price gap between fed cattle and cows in São Paulo state has widened significantly, according to Cepea, in a report dated May 5, 2026. By late April, male animals traded at a premium of BRL 33.69 (USD 6.74) per arroba over females — nearly double the gap of BRL 17.70 (USD 3.54) recorded in April 2024 and well above the BRL 26.30 (USD 5.26) seen in April 2025.
The divergence reflects fed cattle prices rising faster than cow values. Constrained supply of finished cattle since early 2026, combined with firm international beef demand, has pushed fed cattle quotations in São Paulo up 12.65% between December 2025 and late April. Cow prices rose too, but by a more modest 7.5% over the same period, with higher cow supply tempering any sharper gains.
