Abstract
Brazil is the world's largest broiler meat exporter. Health control, knowledge and technology, as well as the natural aspects of the country are pointed out as the keys for the success of that product in the market. Brazilian broiler production grew significantly in the last decade; it creates jobs and has a significant social role in Brazilian economy. This study aimed at evaluating the Brazilian broiler meat supply chain from 2000 to 2010 using the social network analysis (SNA). Data from governmental and private sources were organized and analyzed. The focus of this study was the broiler production supply chain segment involving the hatchery, the broiler farm, the feed mill, the processing plant, and the government. The inputs considered were one-day-old chicks, pullet, feedstuff, and the infrastructure; and the outputs were broiler meat and taxes paid. The software UCINET was applied for calculating the structural attributes and indicators of the network. Results showed a relatively disorganized network in 2000 with the strongest tie between the farmer and the processing plant. The structural organization of the network improved until 2010. The density of the ties in the broiler meat production network increased steadily from 2000 to 2010 within a vertical cohesive supply chain structure. The success of Brazilian broiler meat production is attributed to the abundance of land, fertile soil, favorable climate, and the effort and investments in research and development by innovative companies in the last few years. The results of the present study showed that Brazilian broiler production evolved positively in the last ten years, and it was weakly influenced by international challenges.
Highlights
Broiler meat is one of the most important meat in the global market, and today is the world’s second most consumed meat (FAO, 2007)
Data on product volume and financial movement were retrieved from published material (FAO, 2007, 2010, 2013; IBGE, 2013; MAPA, 2010; MDIC, 2010; USDA, 2010; USDA, 2012; CONAB, 2013; UBABEF, 2013), and market data (UBABEF, 2010, 2012, 2013)
Brazilian chicken meat consumption per capita increased from 10 kg in 1996 to 35 kg in 2004 (Girotto & Mieli, 2004), reaching nearly 90 kg in 2010 (UBABEF, 2011)
Summary
Broiler meat is one of the most important meat in the global market, and today is the world’s second most consumed meat (FAO, 2007). This is due to a few critical factors, such as its low price relative to other meats; excellent image by the consumers, who considered it a light meat; acceptance by most cultures and religions; and whole sales present a wide range of products based on broiler enabling the product market (IPARDES, 2002; Girotto & Mieli, 2004; Amorim, 2011; Vieira et al, 2012). During the last twenty years Brazilian broiler farming became important for the country’ economy. The broiler industry has significantly evolved in Brazil, and its dynamism is linked to constant productivity gains, through the improvement of feed conversion ratios, nutrition technology, genetic research, increased automation of broiler facilities, and better production management (Sousa & Osaki, 2005; Patricio et al, 2012)
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