Recovery of pork prices in February; challenges and prospects in Brazil

The month of February witnessed an increase in the value of both the live kilo and the main wholesale pork cuts. Safras & Mercado analyst, Allan Maia, analyzes the outlook after a challenging month in January, highlighting the increase in consumption, replacement between wholesale and retail, and adjustments in slaughterhouse stocks as fundamental factors. Maia highlights that, in the second fortnight, there was a drop in purchases after the build-up of stocks, impacting both wholesale and live prices. A significant concern was the price per ton exported by Brazil, despite the robust export volume. The Safras & Mercado survey indicated that the average price per kilo of live pigs in the country increased 3.54% in the month, while wholesale ham cuts had a slight drop of 0.14%. Carcasses, in turn, registered an appreciation of 2.24%. The weekly price analysis highlights variations in different regions of the country, such as the rise in pork prices in São ...