Brazilian agribusiness exports reached US$ 16,78 billion in May: 11,2% higher than the same month in 2022. Exports have never exceeded US$ 16 billion in a single month, considering the entire historical series starting in 1997. With the record, the share of agribusiness in total Brazilian exports reached 50,8%.
According to an analysis by the Secretariat of Commerce 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, despite the reduction in international prices, enabled the generation of a new record in agribusiness exports.
Sales of soybeans represented another record, with US$8,13 billion exported. The volume, in turn, was the second best in the entire historical series, 15,60 million tons shipped, only surpassed by the volume of April 2021 (16,11 million tons). China was the main destination (around 60% of the total).
Foreign sales of soybean meal also registered a record, this time in exported value and volume, US$ 1,43 billion (+32,0%) and 2,71 million tons (+38,4%), respectively.
Beef exports fell to US$952 million (-11,8%), due to the reduction in the average export price. On the other hand, there was a record volume: 191 thousand tons, influenced by Chinese demand following the effects of the temporary suspension of sales to the country. China is the largest 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 quantities: 423 thousand tons. The increase in the quantity exported occurred even after the first confirmed cases of Avian Influenza were recorded in Brazil. In this scenario, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock declared a state of zoo-sanitary emergency in the country, and has adopted preventive measures to prevent the virus from reaching commercial farms.
The sugar and alcohol sector showed a strong increase in exported value, rising 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%).
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$64 billion. Agribusiness represented almost half of Brazil's total foreign sales, with a share of 49,5%.
Among the highlights that contributed most to the favorable performance are the records in soybeans, soybean meal, chicken and pork in value and quantity; record for corn and sugar in value; cellulose and soybean oil, record quantities.
Soybeans represented 81,2% of the value shipped by the soy complex sector, reaching a historic value of US$ 26,53 billion, with a record also in volumes: 49 million tons.
In 2023, Brazil is expected to become the largest exporter of soybean meal in the world. The product registered a record in value (US$4,76 billion) and quantum (8,84 million tons).
Foreign sales of corn reached US$3,09 billion, a record value for the historical series. According to SCRI's analysis, the current corn harvest forecast by Conab in the record amount of 125,72 million tons, still under the effects of only the first harvest of the cereal, favors an 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.
Cellulose was responsible for 8,17 million tons, a record quantity for the period. Soybean oil also had a record in quantum, 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.
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According to a technical note from Embrapa attached to the process, the hypothetical restriction of agricultural production in consolidated high-altitude areas of the Atlantic Forest biome would directly affect more than 200 thousand farmers, of which more than 180 thousand are small (less than four fiscal modules)
