World’s top beef producer Brazil gains ground in premium market

Taste does not go backward. That maxim helps explain the momentum in the premium meat market in Brazil and abroad. The world’s largest producer of beef, Brazil has been standing out not only for volume, specialists say. In 2025, the gourmet meat segment operated in a more favorable environment, including internationally, which supported export growth. Looking to 2026, the main challenge will be sustaining cattle supply after a recent surge in female slaughter.

Even so, the outlook remains positive, partly because the United States, another key supplier of high-quality beef, is facing a herd deficit, opening space for the Brazilian product.

“Consumers of quality beef were left undersupplied, and Brazil is the only country in the world that can meet demand not just in quality, but also in volume,” said Maychel Borges, manager of the Certified Angus Beef Program in Brazil. About 550,000 animals passed through the program this year, up 18% to 20% from 2024. Around 70% were females.

China, Mexico, Chile, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Israel are among the main buyers. According to Borges, the trend is likely to intensify next year, as the U.S. herd is expected to begin recovering only from 2027.

The Certified Angus Beef Program’s goal for 2026 is at least to match 2025 slaughter numbers. The biggest hurdle will be animal supply. The segment has recently seen a drop in semen sales. With the arroba price under pressure, producers cut back on technology investments, while more cows were sent to slaughter. “For 2026, we project fewer animals available, which slightly constrains our targets,” Borges said.

The year also brought growth for the Certified Hereford Beef Program. Manager Felipe Azambuja attributes the performance to intensified consumer communication in recent years.

He says the price premium over conventional beef ranges from 10% to 50%, depending on the cut. The advantage, he adds, is that consumers “won’t face surprises.” “They get marbling, juiciness, and tenderness thanks to the entire certification process,” he said. For cattle ranchers, bonuses can reach up to 10%.

Exports of certified Hereford beef hit a record 263 tonnes, up 54% from last year, with destinations including the Maldives, Portugal, Mexico, and Italy. According to Azambuja, U.S. tariffs imposed on several countries, including Brazil, helped the Brazilian product. “There are countries that used to import beef from the U.S. and, in response to the tariff hikes, reduced their purchases,” he said. New market openings are expected in 2026.

Beyond the belief that consumers who have tried gourmet products will continue to favor them, another factor underpins optimism for 2026: the FIFA World Cup, running from June 11 to July 19. The event could spur barbecues. “The trend is for the market to consume more premium beef,” Azambuja said, noting that this depends on Brazil’s national team advancing to the tournament’s later stages.

Premium meats are differentiated mainly by selected genetics, more careful handling, and strict slaughter criteria, resulting in greater tenderness, juiciness, and marbling.

One of the pioneers of Brazil’s premium meat market, István Wessel of Carnes Wessel, notes a significant shift since the 1970s, when he entered the segment. At the time, barbecue cuts were essentially sirloin (picanha), rump skirt (maminha), and baby beef (miolo do alcatra). Today, forequarter cuts have become the “new barbecue.”

“These cuts are now viable for the grill because Brazilian cattle have improved greatly over the past 40 years,” he said. Practices that benefited this once undervalued part of the animal include earlier slaughter, more professional management, and balanced feeding. As a result, cuts that were once tougher and destined for stews can now be grilled.

Examples include flat iron (from the shoulder), denver (from the chuck), and forequarter short ribs. According to Wessel, consumers are already attuned to this shift in beef profiles and have been demanding forequarter cuts. Some of these products can also be more affordable. In December, the company’s sales rose about 10% from the same month in 2024.

Those working on the front lines confirm that genetic advances have added flavor to previously overlooked cuts. “Cuts like denver steak, flat iron steak, and short ribs have gained prominence with the technical and genetic evolution of herds,” said Chico Mancuso, parrilla chef at restaurant Rincon Escondido.

Henrique Freitas, a meat consultant for Corrientes 348 and Assador, says the past two years discouraged ranchers, affecting supply. Since 2010, however, consumption has followed an upward curve. “Over these 15 years of greater exposure to quality beef, consumers have learned to recognize the product. And, as the saying goes, taste does not go backward,” he said.

Fonte: Valor International

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