Brazil: The swine industry's performance in 2022

• Pig slaughter reached 56 million head, representing an increase of 5.7% compared to the 53 million head consolidated in 2021.

• Pork production increased by 5.2% over the previous year, from 4.9 to 5.2 million metric tons (Mt).

• Imports totaled 9760 tons (t), which represents an increase of 73.3% compared to 2021 (5630 t).

• Exports decreased by 1.6% with respect to the previous year, from 1.11 Mt to 1.10 Mt.

• Apparent consumption reached 4.07 Mt, representing an increase of 7.3% over 2021 (3.79 Mt), while per capita consumption was estimated at 19.5 kg/inhabitant.

The swine industry's performance in 2022 was accompanied by a large increase in production costs and marked volatility in producer prices. However, both pig slaughter and pork production showed significant increases that contributed to higher apparent consumption, which pushed per capita consumption to almost 20 kg/inhabitant.

On the other hand, export activity continued to consolidate despite the slight decrease compared to the previous year. The latest forecast from USDA estimates a 4% growth in export volume in 2023, thus anticipating greater participation of Brazilian pork in international markets.