Jul 19, 2019
Cattle Herd in Mato Grosso now 30.33 Million Head
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
The state of Mato Grosso in central Brazil is famous for being Brazil's largest producer of soybeans, corn, and cotton, but it also has Brazil's largest cattle herd as well.
According to recent data released by the Agriculture and Livestock Protection Institute (INDEA), at the end of May, the cattle herd in the state was 30.33 million head, which was 0.87% larger than in May of 2018. The Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural economics (Imea) reported that the number of females increased 1.25% while the number of males increased 0.22% compared to a year earlier.
During the first semester of 2019 the number of cattle sent to market in the state also increased by 9.2% compared to the first semester of 2018, totaling 2.68 million head. Carcass weights continue to increase while the age of the cattle declined indicating improved productivity
Cattle production costs also increased year-on-year due to higher cost of yearlings and higher feed costs. The cost of yearlings over the past 12 months averaged R$ 1,362 per head or approximately $358 per head. The cost of inputs increased as well as the cost of corn and soybean meal.
There are various types of cattle production in Mato Grosso. The majority of cattle are grass fed from start to finish. Others are put on feed during the dry season and back on grass during the rainy season. Others are put in the feedlots just to finish.