Browse Data and Analysis

Milk production in Brazil for 2024 is expected to increase by 1 percent to 25 million metric tons (MMT) and to increase again in 2025 to 25.4 MMT.

EU milk production in 2025 is forecast to decline marginally to 149.4 million metric tons (MMT), from an estimated 149.6 MMT in 2024, as a result of declining cow numbers, tight dairy farmer margins, environmental regulations, and disease outbreaks.

Brazil is the second-largest chicken meat producer in the world after the United States and the largest chicken meat exporter in the world. Post forecasts chicken meat production will increase one percent in 2025 due to high external demand, socio-economic performance, and improved costs of production.

Both EU beef and pork production, as well as exports, are forecast to temporarily increase this year. Beef production will increase because of high carcass and beef prices combined with an overall dim outlook for the sector, incentivizing farmers to slaughter their cattle.

Driven by strong internal demand, EU chicken meat production is expected to continue growing in 2024 and 2025. In 2025, Poland will remain the largest EU chicken meat producer, accounting for more than 22 percent of total EU production.

Brazil is the third-largest cattle producer and second-largest beef exporter in the world. Post forecasts decreased slaughter in 2025, due to the forecasted start of the reversion of the cattle cycle. Producers are likely to start retaining cattle in 2025, driving calf prices upwards.

On August 21, 2024, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) announced that it had initiated an anti-subsidy (i.e., countervailing duty or CVD) investigation on imports of certain dairy products originating from the European Union.

On December 7, 2023, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a new Regulation on the protection of animals during transport to replace Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005.

EU milk production in 2024 is forecast to fall slightly to 148.9 million metric tons (MMT), from an estimated 149.3 MMT in 2023 as a result of declining cow numbers and lower milk production profitability. With lower milk production, which will only be partially offset by lower expected fluid milk consumption, factory use consumption is also forecast to minimally decrease in 2024.

Colombia is the largest South American market for U.S. agricultural products and the seventh-largest market for U.S. food and beverage exports globally. Since the U.S. – Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (CTPA) was implemented in 2012, U.S. agricultural exports have grown by more than 235 percent to a record $3.7 billion in 2023.

Brazil is the second-largest chicken meat producer in the world after the United States, and the largest chicken meat exporter in the world.

While EU beef production is forecast to further decline in 2024 due to a structural unprofitability of the sector and mounting environmental regulations, the EU pork supply is projected to rebound in 2024.