The meat market is expected to enter 2026 with adjusted supply and stable prices.

Futures contracts indicate a firm price per arroba in the first half of next year, driven by the retention of females and heated international demand. The confinement of cattle continues to expand in Brazil and has directly reflected in the increase in the volume of slaughter, especially in Goiás. This is what the 2025 Confinement Census, conducted by DSM-Firmenich, points out, projecting for this year a total of 8.53 million heads confined, a 7.1% growth compared to 2024. According to Marcelo Penha, a veterinarian and market analyst at the Institute for the Strengthening of Agribusiness in Goiás (Ifag), the survey shows that intensive cattle farming continues to gain strength. "The adoption of nutritional and management technologies has allowed producers to optimize resources, fatten animals faster and with better economic results," he explained. Among the main producing states, Mato Grosso leads with 2.1 million confined cattle, an increase of 23.5%. São Paulo comes in second ...