Brazil cattle weights trend higher - Cepea
Shipments reach new highs in April
7 May 2024
2 minute read
By: It's a good time for Brazilian calf and lean cattle purchasers, according to a recent market report from Cepea. In the months of May, June and July, calf weights are higher, and calf prices have been trending downwards over the past years. In Mato Grosso do Sul, data from Cepea indicate that average calf weight was 208 kilos in April, an increase of 16.5% compared to that of April 2000.
The trend of weight increase has been consistent too, according to Cepea. In the last decade, average weight is 201 kilos per animal, with the minimum of 174 kg in December/19 and the maximum of 230 kg in July/22, when calf prices were at around BRL 2,700 in Mato Grosso do Sul. In 2023, the average calf weight in MS was 207 kg, with the minimum of 200 kg in November and the maximum of 213 kg in May and June. In the four first months of 2024, the average weight was 206 kilos.
The weight has been stable even with calf prices in MS moving down to the levels of BRL 2,000 and BRL 2,100. Lean cattle values (approximately 13 arrobas), in turn, have been at around BRL 3,000 in most important feedlot regions. In the first four months of the year, the price average for male animals older than 18 months dropped 6%.
The daily average of Brazilian beef shipments in April (up until April 19) surpassed 10 thousand tons, totalling more than 155 thousand tons in April, which would already represent the second best month of April in history.
