Egg exports from Brazil close to peak

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has overshadowed reports from Brazil in recent months, but there is still plenty of good news from the country’s poultry sector. Take, for example, the excellent performance of Brazilian egg exports. As a low-cost, disease-free producer, Brazil is well placed to meet global demand for eggs, and figures released in July suggest that new highs can be expected this year, although exports may not reach the peaks of a decade ago. In the first six months of 2023, exports of shell and processed eggs increased by 150% in volume terms to 16,600 metric tonnes (MT). In value terms, the figure was more than 222% higher at USD 41.2 million. In June alone, volumes increased by over 901% and value by over 608% compared to June last year. According to the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), these are the best figures for the first half of the year in more than a decade, and with the high average for the second quarter – the best on record – new highs could be expected for 2023 as a whole. The main destination for Brazilian exports is Japan, where the HPAI outbreak has led to a significant reduction in the laying hen population and a consequent shortage of eggs. Between January and June, it bought 6,900 MT of eggs from Brazil, an increase of 1,304% on the same period last year. Next on the list was Taiwan, which bought 5,400 MT, having imported none last year. For any consumers in Brazil who are worried that they may not be able to buy eggs as they all disappear overseas, the ABPA has reassured them that there will be no local shortage. Exports, it says, account for less than 1% of the country’s local production.