Cattle confinement grew 11% in Brazil in 2024

SÃO PAULO (Reuters) - The number of cattle raised in feedlots in Brazil in 2024 totaled 7.96 million head, an increase of 11% compared to last year, according to a census by dsm-firmenich, a Swiss-Dutch company that positions itself as the largest manufacturer of nutritional supplements for animals in Brazil. The survey also showed that, since 2015, the number of confined animals has grown by 70%, demonstrating the growing adoption of intensive livestock farming practices by Brazilian farmers, "as a strategy to optimize beef production". "We believe that the future of beef cattle farming depends on decisions based on reliable and transparent data. That is why we conducted the Feedlot Census, a strategic tool that monitors the evolution of the sector, identifies market trends and maps opportunities...", said dsm-firmenich's Feedlot Manager, Walter Patrizi, in a statement. Intensive livestock farming, despite strong growth, still represents a smaller share of livestock farming in ...