Brazil has 12% more cattle than people; egg production reaches a historic high.
This annual survey provides the latest data on animal food production and livestock in Brazil.
According to G1, last year, the national chicken population reached a record high, while the cattle herd is the second largest since records began in 1974, just below the peak level of 2023.
The following are the sizes of various livestock in 2024 compared to the Brazilian population. That year, IBGE estimated the Brazilian population to be 212.5 million.
Cattle: 238.2 million head — 12% more than the Brazilian population.
Production decreased by 0.2% compared to the previous year, due to the cattle cycle, with an increase in the slaughter of cows in recent years. The largest cattle herd is still concentrated in São Félix do Xingu, Pará.
Poultry (mainly chickens and broilers): 1.6 billion — nearly 8 times the population.
The number increased by 1.7% compared to the previous year, which is an increase of 26.8 million.
Egg-laying hens reached 277.5 million, an increase of 6.8% from 2023. The municipality with the largest production is Santa Maria de Jetibá, Espírito Santo.
Eggs: 5.4 billion dozen (64.8 billion eggs) — equivalent to about 305 eggs per person.
Production increased in 24 of the 27 states, setting a new historical record.
Santa Maria de Jetibá is also the place with the highest egg production in the country, earning it the title of "Egg Capital of Brazil."
Milk production reaches a new high, but the number of dairy cows decreases
The survey also released data on other animal food products:
Milk production reached a record 35.7 billion liters, an increase of 1.4% from the previous year, with a total value of 87.5 billion reais. However, the number of dairy cows decreased to the lowest level since 1979, indicating increased productivity.
The pig population reached 43.9 million.
The goat population (mainly dairy goats) reached 13.3 million, an increase of 3.1% from the previous year, setting a historical record.
The sheep population totals 21.9 million, equivalent to about 1 sheep per 10 Brazilians, also setting a historical record, an increase of 0.3% from the previous year.
Honey production reached 67.3 million kilograms, a new record.
Aquaculture (artificially raised fish and shrimp) production was 724,900 tons, with about 70% being tilapia.