The chicken exports were worth $ 5 billion, which represented a growth of 55 per cent on 2006.

The Brazilian Poultry Exporters Association (Abef) which unveiled the figures this week said the exports had hit a new high.

The Middle East remains as the leading destination for Brazilian exports.

In 2007, 984,000 tonnes were shipped to the region, a 30 per cent increase compared with the previous year.

Revenue from sales stood at $ 1.3 billion, 63 per cent more than in 2006.

Next came the European Union, Asia, Russia, Africa and South America.

For this year, the Abef is expecting a lower growth of eight per cent, both in volume and in value.

However, the association has also forecast a rise in production costs, especially due to the increase in prices for maize, soybean and fertilisers. The forecast also takes into account negative prospects regarding the performance of global economy.