Based on data from the National Supply Company (Conab), Brazil is set to be the leading exporter of soybean meal in 2023.
This ascent has been attributed to a decline in Argentina’s soybean crop and a record harvest in Brazil.
Conab reports that Brazil is expected to sustain high soybean meal exports this season, reaching around 21.8 million tons, marking a 50% increase from the previous year.
Since 1997, Argentina had been the world’s top soybean meal producer. However, an unprecedented drought cut their soy crop in half.
Concurrently, Brazil’s harvest for this year is predicted to be the largest ever documented.
Argentina’s farmers are projected to produce about 20 million tons. Meanwhile, Paraná, home to Brazil’s second-largest soy crop, is estimated to yield 22 million tons.
The overall soybean production across Brazil is anticipated to reach 154 million tons.
Brazil’s dominance in soybean cultivation is credited to advancements that made it viable to farm in the cerrado biome.
This results from a 50-year collaboration between the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation and local farmers, emphasizing scientific and technological innovations.
Soybean meal primarily serves as an essential feed for poultry, pigs, and cattle, key sectors supplying protein to humans.
This significant role in animal nutrition underscores Brazil’s position as the world’s leading chicken meat exporter, playing a crucial part in global food security.