Prices in Mato Grosso are close to those in São Paulo

Cepea, June 3, 2025

CATTLE – Fed cattle prices in Mato Grosso (state that has the biggest herd in Brazil) are close to values in São Paulo. Price gaps have been decreasing since late 2022.

In April/25, some trades in Mato Grosso were closed at higher values compared to those in São Paulo. Considering the average of that month, the price gap between these two states was only 9.50 Reais per arroba (15 kg), with the advantage for SP, the smallest since mid-2017. In April last year, fed cattle quotations in SP were 22.20 Reais per arroba above prices in Mato Grosso.

In May, average prices in MT are 12.30 Reais/arroba above the price Index in SP – one year ago, the scenario was the opposite, with the advantage of 20.10 Reais of the animal in SP over that in MT.

MARKET IN LATE MAY – Prices were in a downward trend since the last week of April; however, values were more stable at the end of May. The CEPEA/ESALQ Index for fed cattle (São Paulo State) moved down 4% in May, closing at BRL 306.10 on May 30. In the wholesale market of the Greater São Paulo, beef carcass values decreased 6.6% in the same comparison, to close at BRL 21.38/kilo.

SWINE – In spite of recent decreases, pork price averages were higher in May compared to the previous month. As for beef and chicken meat, on the other hand, quotations moved down. This scenario reduced the competitiveness of pork meat against the others.

The low demand for pork meat, which is typical at the end of the month, pressed down values, but price averages were still above those verified in April, sustained by price rises in the first fortnight of the month.

POULTRY – After two weeks of the bird flu confirmation in Brazil, data from Cepea indicate that chicken meat prices dropped significantly in the domestic market in late May.

As chicken meat exports from Brazil have faced limitations from trade partners (the European Union and other 24 countries, for instance, have embargoed the product from all over Brazil), the supply ended up increasing in the domestic market.

The domestic demand, in turn, was reduced, especially because of the period of the month, when the purchase power is lower. This scenario reinforced the downward trend for chicken meat prices.

SHIPMENTS – In the first 16 producing days of May, Brazil exported 19.9 thousand tons of chicken meat, downing steeply 9.6% compared to the performance observed in April and for a decrease of 2% in relation to May last year. The current daily average of shipments is the lowest since January this year (19.8 thousand tons).

(Cepea-Brazil)