Exports of beef from Brazil for 2025 are likely to be in excess of three million tonnes for the first time when the final export figures for the year are confirmed.
That’s according to the Center for Advanced Studies on Applied Economics (CEPEA), a research body at the University of Sao Paulo.
The research body said that the cattle sector in Brazil has been renewing records of production and exports.
In 2025, it is already possible to indicate that beef production hit records, although official data has not yet been released, according to CEPEA.
The lower beef supply worldwide, competitive costs in Brazil and the high exchange rate boosted production and sales to the international market, CEPEA said.
It said that, for the first time, Brazil shipped more than 3 million tonnes of beef, indicating that the sector was able to avoid the impacts of US tariffs.
CEPEA cited data for the year up to November, which indicated that Brazil had exported 3.116 million tonnes of beef, 8.4% higher than the total figure for 2024.
The research body said that the total Brazilian beef production for the first three quarters of 2025 stood at 8.1 million tonnes, up 4.8% on the same three quarters of 2024, and the highest production figures for the corresponding nine-month period in any year since 1997.
This quantity of beef has come from the slaughter of 31.757 million animals, which is up 5.9% on the figure for the first nine months of 2024.
According to CEPEA, a decrease in the number of male animals slaughtered was compensated for by an increase in female animals slaughtered, with the former decreasing by 3.8% and the latter increasing by 22.7%.
Mercosur trade deal
The trend of increasing beef exports from Brazil comes at a time when the prospect of increased exports to the EU is generating heightened concern, and anger, within the EU, particularly among farm organisations.
Following a large protest in Brussels in mid-December against the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement, a protest in Ireland is now planned for next weekend which will have the support of the main farm oganisations.
The protest is being held in Athlone, Co. Westmeath and is scheduled for Saturday, January 10.
The action is being organised by Independent Ireland, and has been described as a “national community protest” by Independent Ireland TD Michael Fitzmaurice.
Several farm organisation have confirmed to Agriland that they would be at the protest in an official capacity to support the anti-Mercosur deal message.
The EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement, which would allow an additional 99,000t of beef from the Mercosur countries – mainly from Brazil – enter the EU at a much reduced tariff, was supposed to be finalised in December, but this was postponed due to a large farmer demonstration in Brussels.
It is understood that the European Commission will seek to ratify the trade deal early this month.
