Érica Sato
Reporter Agência Brasil

São Paulo – Brazilian chicken exports set new records in October. It was the best October for the sector ever, with almost 260,000 tons worth US$351.8 million sold abroad. And for the year (10 months), sales totalled 2.4 million tons worth US$2.86 billion. All those numbers are records.

Volume for the month of October, and the year, were both up just less than 20%, compared to 2004. As for export income, it was up over 30%. The chicken exporter association (Abef) is forecasting total export revenue for 2005 at US$3.5 billion.

Brazil's main export market for its chicken is the Middle East. This year exports to that part of the world totalled over 700,000 tons worth US$758.8 million. Those numbers are up 14% anx 38%, respectively, compared to 2004.

The second biggest buyer of Brazilian chicken is Asia. Sales totalled over 622,000 tons (up 20%), worth US$808.3 million (up 30.5%).

Finally, although it is still a small market in absolute terms, the biggest growing market for Brazilian chicken products is next door in Mercosur. For this year, volume reached only 1,480 tons, but that is up 185% over 2004. Sales revenue at US$2.3 million, was up 187%.

Translator: Allen Bennett