The combination between the decline in beef production in the United States and the growth of the Chinese middle class should open up new opportunities for Brazilian exports of animal protein in the coming years. The assessment is by Cleber Soares, executive secretary of Mapa (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock).
According to Soares, the scenario was presented during the Outlook Forum, the main annual event of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), held in February this year.
“Americans themselves recognize that there is a natural decline in food production, especially beef. The herd is shrinking, there is a reduction in the number of sows and aging of rural producers,” he stated.
In Soares’ assessment, this structural change will cause the United States to increase its need to import beef, benefiting .
He cited as an example the advance in American purchases this year.
According to information obtained from the export sector, the initial forecast was for contracts of around 280 thousand for the year 2026, a volume that would have already reached around 320 thousand tons in the first half of the year.
China should increase consumption
Another factor pointed out by the secretary is the expansion of the Chinese middle class.
According to Soares, the country’s middle class population, currently estimated at around 400 million people, could reach 700 million by 2032.
“Increased income naturally leads to greater consumption of animal protein, especially beef.”
For the secretary, few foods have such a direct relationship between income growth and increased consumption as beef, which reinforces the .
