Chicken farming: Broiler chick prices show resilience in 2025

Brazil went through turbulent times in its chicken industry over the year. The first and only outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza on a commercial farm tested the sector’s resilience, which, with a solid contingency plan, managed to resolve the issue with great agility and efficiency.

The resumption of exports to some destinations took longer than it should have. The European Union resumed the purchase of chicken products from Brazil only in October, while China did it only in the first half of November. In any case, Brazil is regaining its export potential of between 450 and 500 thousand tons per month, operating with great prominence in the global context.

Throughout the season, broiler chick placements remained at record levels, supported by strong demand. Processors concluded that increasing idle capacity would be more costly than maintaining elevated production levels. Their bet relied on the domestic market’s ability to absorb lower value-added proteins and on the lower hatch rates seen in recent years

As a result, expectations point to record chick placements in 2025. According to APINCO data, around 5.5 billion chicks were placed from January to October, a 3% increase compared with the same period last year, when approximately 5.34 billion chicks were placed.

The sector closes the year with good prospects. Placement figures for the last quarter should confirm the trend of a historic record. For next year, a new record for broiler chick placements and chicken meat production is expected, with the country firmly consolidating its position as a leading global exporter of chicken meat.

This outlook gains further support from the recent spread of Avian Influenza in the Northern Hemisphere, which has affected chicken and egg production. It is worth noting that Avian Influenza remains a key point of attention, and closely monitoring the market during migration months is essential.

The measures adopted by the government, sector-governing entities, and the Brazilian poultry industry serve as examples for other major producing countries, helping reduce the risk of more serious animal-health issues in the Brazilian market.

Tags: exports, Brazil, Meat, Production, chicken, broiler, highly pathogenic avian influenza