With $159 Billion in Sales in 2022, Agribusiness Exports Continue to Grow, Increasing by 32% Compared to 2021

Agribusiness Exports Reached Over US$ 159.09 Billion in 2022, With a 32% Increase Compared to 2021. According to the Secretariat of Commerce and International Relations (SCI) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, these international prices of agricultural commodities also influenced performance.

The index of prices for products exported by agribusiness increased by about 22.1% compared to 2021, and the shipped volume grew by around 8.1%. With all this growth, these agribusiness external sales represented over 47.6% of the total exported by Brazil last year.

The growth of these exported volumes was reinforced by the increase in the production of each product in the grain harvest during the years 2021 and 2022, which reached 271.4 million tons. Soybeans and corn were the main crops, with about 113 million tons and 126 million tons, respectively.

In the exported sectors, there were standout performances between January and December 2022, including: soy complex (US$ 60.95 billion, 38.3% of the total); meat (US$ 25.67 billion, 16.1% of the total); forest products (US$ 16.49 billion, 10.4% of the total); cereals, flours, and preparations (US$ 14.46 billion, 9.1% of the total); and sugar-alcohol complex (US$ 12.79 billion, 8% of the total).

Last year, about US$ 17.24 billion were recorded in imports of agribusiness products. This result can only be explained by the increases in average prices (+13.8%), as the imported volumes fell during the analysis period.

December 2022

In December 2022, agribusiness exports totaled about US$ 11.32 billion, a value higher than the recorded US$ 9.81 billion, which represented a 15.4% increase compared to mid-December 2021. According to the SCRI analysis, the expansion explains the high prices.

The five main exported sectors were: cereals, flour, and preparations (19.3% share); soy complex (19.2% share); meats (16.7% share); forest products (10.5% share); and sugar-alcohol complex (10.4% share).

The cereals, flour, and preparations sector had the highest exports, with US$ 2.19 billion (+117.9%). Corn was the main product in this sector, with external sales growing from 3.4 million tons in December 2021 to 6.4 million tons in December 2022 (+88%).

China alone accounted for almost one-third of thecorn that was exported in large quantities. Sales to the Asian country were only authorized in mid-November, and by December last year, they reached 1.10 million tons, making the country one of the largest importers of Brazilian corn. Four other countries also imported the grain: Iran (750.9 thousand tons, +41.1%); Spain (778.3 thousand tons; +268.9%); Japan (472.9 thousand tons; +551.6%); and finally, South Korea (406.4 thousand tons; +15.6%).