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The food industry in Santa Catarina grew 5.9% in 2025 according to IBGE, nearly four times the national average of 1.5%, driven by a record grain harvest up 20.7% and meat exports totaling US$ 4.5 billion in revenue for the year.
Santa Catarina occupies less than 1% of Brazilian territory but puts food on the table for consumers in dozens of countries. In 2025, the food industry in the state grew 5.9%, practically four times the national average of 1.5%, according to IBGE data. This performance placed Santa Catarina in fourth position in the national ranking, behind only Rio Grande do Sul (7.1%), Pará (7%), and Rio de Janeiro (6.1%). For a state that already started from a consolidated industrial base, advancing at this pace is not trivial.
According to information from the portal NDMAIS, the numbers behind this growth are impressive. The grain harvest 2024/25 set a record in Santa Catarina, with 7.85 million tons harvested, an increase of 20.7% over the previous cycle. During the same period, the state exported 2 million tons of meat, generating US$ 4.5 billion in revenue, an increase of 8.4% compared to 2024. The State Department of Agriculture and Livestock attributes the results to a combination of favorable weather, record productivity, and investments in agricultural technology.
Record harvest: what Santa Catarina harvested in 2025
The grain harvest in Santa Catarina for 2024/25 recorded growth in all major crops. Wheat led the increase with a 40.5% expansion, followed by corn (+24.7%), soybeans (+19.1%), beans (+14.1%), and rice (+12.2%).
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In total, 7.85 million tons were harvested, compared to 6.5 million in the previous cycle. Corn in Santa Catarina achieved an average productivity of 9.8 tons per hectare, the highest ever recorded in the state. Rice reached 1.3 million tons, also with a record productivity of 8.95 tons per hectare.
A significant portion of these grains did not leave the state in their raw form. They returned transformed: as feed that fed poultry and swine, as raw material for processed products, as commodities exported with added value from Santa Catarina.
This integration between field and industry is what sets Santa Catarina apart from other producing states: the record harvest did not stay in the field; it directly fueled the 5.9% growth in the food industry.
2 million tons of meat crossing oceans
Every day, before dawn, the production lines of slaughterhouses spread throughout the interior of Santa Catarina are already in motion.
In 2025, the state exported 2 million tons of meat including chickens, pigs, turkeys, ducks, geese, cattle, and other species.
Chicken meat led with 1.2 million tons and revenue of US$ 2.45 billion, an increase of 3% in volume and 6.9% in value.
Pigs also broke records. Santa Catarina exported 748.8 thousand tons of pork, generating US$ 1.85 billion in revenue, an increase of 4.1% in quantity and 9.4% in value.
The state led the national ranking of pork exports with over 50% of the total shipped by Brazil. The production in Santa Catarina also set a record, with 18.3 million pigs slaughtered, an increase of 2.1% and the largest volume in the state’s history.
The total revenue from meat exports reached US$ 4.5 billion, an increase of 8.4% over 2024, above the average of total exports from Santa Catarina, which grew 4.4% during the period.
Why Santa Catarina grows four times more than Brazil
The inevitable question is: how can such a small state in territory manage to grow four times above the national average in the food industry?
The answer lies in the integration of the production chain. In Santa Catarina, the field directly feeds the industry, which in turn exports to dozens of countries.
The integrated production model in Santa Catarina, where farmers provide raw materials to slaughterhouses and agro-industries with long-term contracts, ensures stability and scale.
Governor Jorginho Mello attributes the result to the state’s vocation: “The Santa Catarina industry is an example for Brazil and has been growing above the national average year after year. Much of this extraordinary performance is a result of our agribusiness, which puts food on the Brazilian table every day.”
In addition to climate and technology, Santa Catarina invested over R$ 503 million in actions, programs, and agreements aimed at the agricultural sector in 2025, with over 87 thousand contracts signed to support rural producers.
What lies ahead for the food industry in Santa Catarina
For 2026, the expectation is for continued growth, supported by market diversification, strong external demand, and a heated internal market.
The Mercosur-European Union agreement opens medium-term opportunities for Santa Catarina products. The SC Rural 2 program, in the final stages of processing, plans to invest US$ 150 million to increase income, competitiveness, and resilience of agriculture in the face of extreme weather events.
Another ongoing program is Coopera Agro SC, which plans up to R$ 1 billion in credit lines for cooperatives, agro-industries, and integrated producers. In the swine sector, Santa Catarina also published new biosafety guidelines for technified pig farming.
With costs under control and good profitability prospects, Santa Catarina positions itself to maintain the growth trajectory that placed it at the top of the food industry in Brazil in 2025.
Did you know that Santa Catarina weighs so much in agribusiness?
Record grain harvest, 2 million tons of meat exported, US$ 4.5 billion in revenue, and growth four times greater than the national average. Santa Catarina proved in 2025 that the size of territory does not define the size of results.
And you, did you know that Santa Catarina had such weight in Brazilian agribusiness? Do you think the state’s integrated production model should be replicated in other regions? Let us know in the comments.
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