Browse Data and Analysis

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.

Brazil is currently at the bottom of the cattle cycle, liquidating inventories since 2023. The oversupply of cattle for slaughter has led to a slow price recovery and longer-term impact to the replacement market.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and Food Supply of Brazil (MAPA) announced the opening of the Dominican Republic market for pork and beef products on August 9, 2023.

The Brazilian economy is slowly recovering from the negative impacts of the COVID pandemic on its GDP growth, employment rates, and in most sectors of the economy.

Since the Netherlands lifted all COVID-19 related restrictions at the end of February 2022 and most people returned to the workplace, new opportunities continue to emerge for U.S. agricultural products. Consumers are especially interested in healthier, more convenient, nutritious, and high-quality products.

In 2023, Post forecasts that cattle production will grow 1.3 percent, to 48.5 million cattle head, as the Brazilian cattle sector reaches its peak in the production cycle.

Post forecasts an increase in cattle production by 2.8 percent in 2022 and one percent in 2023, driven by global demand, elevated beef prices, and a general trend of expansion in the sector. Nevertheless, increasing production costs, especially feed prices, inflation, and unstable weather are expected to pose challenges to cattle ranchers.