Overview of Uruguay's swine industry in 2024

Inventory

• According to preliminary data from DICOSE affidavits, as of June 2024, there were 108,083 head of swine in Uruguay, distributed among approximately 2,925 swine producers.
• The departments of Canelones (33%) and San José (27%) account for 60% of the country's pigs.
• Of the total inventory, 20.1% correspond to breeding sows (21,723) and 2.3% to boars (2,504), while the remaining 77.6% represent piglets and pigs.

Slaughter and production

• A total of 138,691 head of pigs were slaughtered in 2024, an increase of 1.9% compared to 2023 (136,149 head).
• The establishments where the slaughter was carried out in 2024 were Noesma S.A. (50%), Tribicar (42%), Arroyal S.A. (5%), and Matadero los Olivos (3%).
• Estimated pork production for 2024 is 9916 tons (t), assuming an average carcass weight of 71.5 kg, which would represent a growth of 2.1% over the previous year (9708 t).

International trade

• At the end of 2024, pork imports totaled 47,171 t, 3.8% lower than the 49,011 t recorded in 2023.
• With a share of 96.1% (45,350 t), Brazil was the main supplier of imported pork in 2024. Paraguay and Argentina occupied the second and third positions with 950 and 531 t, respectively.
• The products imported in 2024 corresponded to other frozen meat (96.3%) and other fresh refrigerated meat (3.7%).
• Pork exports in Uruguay are not very significant. In 2024, only 29 t were recorded, representing an increase of 38.1% compared to the 21 t recorded in 2023.

Consumption

• Apparent consumption in 2024 is estimated at 57,058 t, a drop of 2.8% compared to 2023, partly explained by the decrease in imports.
• In the last year, imports accounted for 83% of apparent pork consumption, while the remaining 17% corresponded to domestic production.
• In the last 10 years, per capita pork consumption in Uruguay has increased, rising from 16 kg/inhabitant in 2015 to almost 23 kg/inhabitant in 2024.