Brazil chicken exports hit record in 2025 - ABPA
Shipments rise despite avian influenza disruption
7 January 2026
1 minute read
By: After overcoming one of the most challenging periods in the history of the sector, Brazilian poultry farming closed 2025 with positive results. Brazilian chicken meat exports totalled 5.324 million tonnes over the 12 months of 2025, a volume 0.6% higher than the 5.294 million tonnes exported in 2024, setting a new annual export record for the sector, according to the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA).
The result was supported by shipments made in December. During the month, 510,800 tonnes of chicken meat were exported, a volume 13.9% higher than the 448,700 tonnes shipped in December 2024.
Total export revenue in 2025 reached US$9.790 billion, down 1.4% from US$9.928 billion recorded in 2024. In December alone, export revenue totalled US$947.9 million, an increase of 10.6% compared with US$856.9 million in the same period of the previous year.
"The year was marked by the resilience of the sector and the overcoming of one of the greatest challenges in the history of national poultry farming, with the registration of a focus, already overcome, of High Pathogenic Avian Influenza in commercial birds," said ABPA president Ricardo Santin.
"Closing the year with positive results, as predicted by ABPA, is a feat to be celebrated and reinforces the projected perspective for 2026, expanding the Brazilian presence in the global market, in line with the production of the sector expected for the year," he added.
The United Arab Emirates was the leading destination for Brazilian chicken meat exports in 2025, importing 479,900 tonnes, an increase of 5.5% compared with 2024. Japan followed with 402,900 tonnes, down 9.1%, while Saudi Arabia imported 397,200 tonnes, up 7.1%. South Africa received 336,000 tonnes, an increase of 3.3%, and the Philippines imported 264,200 tonnes, up 12.5%.
"The total restoration of shipments after the impacts of Avian Influenza already signals positively in the export numbers," Santin said. "This is the case of shipments to the European Union, which recorded a 52% increase in exported volumes in December, and China, which, in a short period, has already imported 21.2 thousand tons. These are indicators that project the maintenance of the positive scenario for the year 2026."
