The pork and poultry industry is expected to have exported more than 638,000 ton cwe in 2022, reaching US 1.4 billion and 88% of total Chilean meat exports. Rabobank expects for the white meat industry in 2023 to continue being challenged by high production costs and changing consumer trends.
The general scenario is particular, since global and national contingencies in 2022 presented numerous difficulties for the white meat industry and other sectors; inflation, high commodity prices, political and social conflicts, and various diseases, all of which represented challenges with a direct and indirect impact on production costs, stability, and forecasts. In this scenario, the Chilean industry had to be resilient, facing various situations with a positive attitude despite adversity.
When analyzing each protein’s production and exports in detail, 2022 figures from Chilean Customs indicate that the turkey industry will have exported over 30,000 ton cwe last year, with a 25% year on year increase in volume and 185% in value, reaching US 177 million. These results confirm that turkey will become the third most exported animal protein in Chile, following pork and chicken.
The total volume of chicken exported in 2022 will reach 214,000 ton cwe, an 11% increase from 2021 that represents US 583 million; a value 28% higher than the previous year.
In turn, pork exports dropped because of major global factors that had a direct or indirect impact on the outlook for both the Chilean and global pork industries. As recorded by Chilean Customs, the industry will export 393,000 ton cwe of pork, a 12% reduction in volume compared to 2021, and a value above 646 million USD, which represents a 20% reduction from 2021. China, South Korea, and Japan remain the primary destination markets for this Chilean protein, which represents 75% of the total volume of exports.
The United States, Mexico, and China were the primary destinations for Chilean chicken and turkey in 2022, with more than US 760 million in exports of both proteins.
2023 Outlook
Rabobank expects that in 2023 the global white meat industry will continue to be challenged by high production costs and changing consumer trends.
“The industry has faced extremely challenging years and 2022 was no exception. We had to focus on efficiency to consolidate our margins and at the same time improve safety measures with even stricter protocols, which have been our undeniable guarantee. We maintain our positive assessment after seeing turkey exports for 2022, and we are focusing on pork and chicken to improve their export figures soon,” said ChileCarne’s President, Juan Carlos Dominguez.
More specifically, Rabobank forecasts that China will see slow growth in pork processing, while poultry will see an increase, although limited.
In Brazil, pork and chicken production will grow, largely driven by a strong presence in export markets; locally, beef will be one of the most benefited sectors.
In North America, the forecast is for poultry to increase its contribution thanks to a high demand, even with the Avian Influenza AH5N1. A more stable flow is expected for the pork sector.
Rabobank’s forecasts for Europe show a contraction in all meat products due to the presence of diseases, new regulations in its single market, and lower export volumes.
