More South American countries exporting poultry

I envisage that the future of the global poultry industry is in the Americas (along with Asia). The three largest grain producers (the U.S., Brazil and Argentina) are in this part of the world, it has lots of resources (that need to be well managed), and it has hard-working and affordable labor. Also, the two largest poultry exporters (Brazil and the U.S.) are already here.

Talking about Latin America, Brazil, Argentina and Chile are well known as poultry exporters, mainly of chicken, but also eggs, turkey and genetic material. Actually, I blogged on increasing Argentinian chicken exports last week. However, we normally don’t think of other nations. But in the recent months, both Ecuador and Colombia have been taking their first steps in exporting poultry products.

The chart below shows the poultry meat export volume registered at Brazilian ports between January 2021 and September 2024, according to DataLiner data. Click on the link below to request a demo.

Poultry Meat Exports from Brazil | Jan 2021 – Sep 2024 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Ecuador exported 28 metric tons of chicken to the Bahamas last May. They expect to export to the Chinese market in the future, a market that is already open to Ecuadorian shrimp. A milestone for this country’s poultry industry showing a promising future.

On the other hand, Colombia exported eggs to Cuba in two shipments – 500,000 in March 2024 and 2 million eggs this October. It is another milestone for the Colombian poultry industry, which is pushing hard to become a poultry exporter, particularly while combatting health issues such as Newcastle disease and avian flu.

These exports – although small – mean a lot for Ecuador and Colombia for several reasons. Sales go international. These markets may be less stringent in their ruling (no particular labels are required), but it will prepare health and customs authorities on both sides to “play” and get ready for the major leagues. Also, in the case of exporting to Cuba, cash flow is very good, because advance payments are required in order to receive goods.

So, poultry exporting might go beyond Brazil, Argentina and Chile. This fact can set the region up with a wide variety of options for the rest of the world. As my Colombian poultry journalist colleague and friend, Alexander Barajas, told me “These exports have set the flag on the Moon.” Ecuador and Colombia are there for poultry exports.

Source: WATTpoultry

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