Progress in the Brazilian cattle industry: an analysis of the Agricultural Censuses database

Abstract

Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of beef and home to the world’s biggest commercial beef herd. So a study was conducted to understand how the Brazilian cattle industry has developed, by analysing the Agricultural Censuses carried out in 1985, 1995 and 2006. Databases (per region) were collected: bovine herd, total pasture area (natural and cultivated) and forage storage silos, and the stocking rate calculated (heads/ha). Brazilian regions are: North, North-east, South-east, South and Midwest. The average annual growth rate (%/year) was calculated. In 1985, Brazil had 128 million bovine heads, raised on 179.2 million hectares of pasture (0.71 head/ha). In 2006, the bovine herd went up to 176.1 million heads, raised on 160 million hectares of pasture (1.1 head/ha). The North region (Amazon forest) showed the highest growth in bovine herd (6.3%/year), and in total (1.2%/year) and cultivated (4.0%/year) pasture areas, increasing the stocking rate from 0.43 (1985) up to 1.21 head/ha (2006). The Midwest region accounted for the largest bovine herd in 2006 and showed the second highest growth in herd size (2.4%/year) and in cultivated (1.9%/year) pasture area, increasing the stocking rate from 0.61 (1985) up to 1.01 head/ha (2006). The South-east and South regions (the most developed regions) presented negative growth in herd size and total pasture, but with the highest stocking rate in 2006 (1.24 and 1.5 head/ha, respectively). The displacement of the cattle industry towards North concerns the government, due to the Amazon’s deforestation, but the intensification of the production system has relieved the pressure on the forest.