Export Momentum Continues Despite Disease Surveillance Pressure
Brazil has further consolidated its position as the world’s dominant poultry-exporting nation in 2026, with the country continuing to expand chicken meat exports despite heightened global scrutiny around avian influenza surveillance, antimicrobial compliance and international trade certification.
The Brazilian poultry industry remains one of the most strategically important components of the global animal protein economy, supplying chicken meat to more than 150 international markets across:
- the Middle East
- Asia
- Africa
- Europe
- Latin America.
According to the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), Brazil exported a record 5.324 million tonnes of chicken meat in 2025 surpassing 5.294 million tonnes in 2024.
Despite temporary trade disruptions linked to avian influenza outbreaks during 2025, Brazil successfully maintained positive export growth due to:
- rapid disease containment
- diversified export destinations
- strong government-industry coordination
- resilient global demand.
Export Revenues Near US$10 Billion
Brazil’s poultry export revenues remained among the highest in the global meat trade.
ABPA data showed total chicken export revenues reached approximately US$9.79 billion in 2025 despite periodic import restrictions imposed by some countries following bird flu incidents. The industry has continued expanding strongly into 2026.
January–April 2026 Performance
Brazilian chicken exports during the first four months of 2026 reached approximately 1.943 million tonnes representing 4.3% year-on-year growth.
Export revenues during the same period rose to US$3.704 billion up 6.1% versus the previous year. In March 2026 alone:
- exports totaled 504,300 tonnes
- revenues reached a record US$944.7 million
Middle East and Asia Continue Driving Demand
Brazilian poultry processors benefited significantly from:
- strong Gulf demand
- recovering Asian imports
- halal export expansion
- global food-security concerns.
Key Import Markets
Major destinations for Brazilian poultry exports in early 2026 included:
- China
- Japan
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
- United Arab Emirates
- Mexico
China alone imported approximately 51,800 tonnes in March 2026 up 11.6% year-on-year as import levels recovered to pre-avian influenza disruption volumes. Exports to Japan rose sharply by more than 41% during the same period.
The Middle East remains especially critical because Brazil dominates halal-certified poultry exports. Industry participants estimate that nearly one-third of Brazilian chicken exports are linked directly or indirectly to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets.
Brazil’s Structural Advantages Continue Expanding
Industry analysts said Brazil’s poultry industry benefits from a combination of structural advantages rarely matched globally.
1. Vertically Integrated Production
Brazilian poultry production is dominated by highly integrated agribusiness giants such as:
- BRF
- JBS
- Aurora Coop
These companies operate fully integrated systems involving:
- breeding
- feed production
- hatcheries
- contract farming
- slaughtering
- processing
- export logistics.
Vertical integration allows:
- tighter disease control
- lower production costs
- better traceability
- large-scale export consistency.
2. Competitive Feed Economics
Brazil remains one of the world’s largest producers of:
- corn
- soybeans
which are the two most important poultry feed ingredients.
Lower domestic grain costs provide Brazilian poultry producers with major advantages in:
- feed conversion economics
- production margins
- export competitiveness.
Feed typically accounts for:
- 60–70% of poultry production costs globally
3. Advanced Poultry Genetics and Productivity
Brazil’s poultry sector has aggressively invested in:
- advanced broiler genetics
- automation
- climate-controlled poultry housing
- processing technologies
- precision nutrition.
The country’s chicken meat production reached approximately 14.2 million metric tonnes in 2025 representing 3.4% annual growth and a new production record.
USDA-linked forecasts cited by industry publications suggest Brazilian chicken production could rise further to nearly 15.8 million tonnes in 2026
Outlook
Analysts expect Brazil’s poultry exports to continue growing through:
- 2026
- 2027
supported by:
- rising global protein demand
- competitive feed availability
- expanding processing capacity
- strong emerging-market demand.
However, future growth will increasingly depend on:
- disease surveillance
- export certification integrity
- antimicrobial compliance
- sustainability standards
- geopolitical trade relations.
