For the first time in history, agribusiness exports exceeded US$ 10 billion in January. Last month, the segment sold US$ 10.23 billion abroad, a growth of 16.5% compared to January 2022 and the best result in history for the month.
The figures were released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. In January, agribusiness accounted for 44.4% of Brazilian exports. According to the folder, the record value resulted from the 10.5% increase in export prices and 5.5% in the quantity shipped.
Agribusiness imports totaled US$ 1.54 billion in January, up 38.3% compared to January 2022 (US$ 1.12 billion). The value includes only food, not inputs used in agricultural production, such as fertilizers, pesticides, parts and equipment.
main highlights
The main highlight in the export record was corn, whose sales abroad totaled US$ 1.8 billion, an increase of 166.4%. The volume exported corresponded to 6.2 million tons, a record for the month of January.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, several factors influenced the result. The folder mentions the slow pace of the soy harvest, which made transport logistics for the grain possible; the continuation of the conflict in Ukraine, which reduced the production of an important world supplier of maize; and demand from China, as of the marketing authorization in November last year.
Foreign sales of meat (beef, pork and chicken) reached almost US$ 2 billion and also broke a record for the month of January. Chicken exports were favored by avian flu in other regions of the planet, which increased the quantity shipped from Brazil. In addition, Chinese demand for meat remained high, influenced by the Lunar New Year celebrations in the Asian country.
With an increase of 68% compared to January of last year, sugar exports totaled US$ 870 million. The main buyers were Algeria, Nigeria, Morocco, Egypt and China.
harvest delay
The performance of the agribusiness trade balance could be better if it weren’t for soy. The soy complex (grains, bran and oil) exported US$ 1.5 billion, down 26.6%. Regarding grains, the volume exported fell 66% compared to January last year.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the volume of rains delayed the harvest in the main producing regions. Even so, the National Supply Company (Conab) estimates record production of 152.9 million tons of grain in the most recent survey, released this month.
