Chief executive at JBS Swift & Co, Wesley Batista, believes US beef exports will rise 10% this year.

He said at an agricultural symposium in Kansas City that JBS beef exports would grow 30% this year and that the US industry would export 10% more beef compared with 2009.

He added that US cattle prices were at a 19-month high in May, which has impacted on demand. However, prices will come down and demand will return, he claims.

JBS Swift & Co is the US branch of Brazil-based JBS SA, the world's biggest beef producer. Across all of its business units—in Brazil, Australia, the US, Argentina and Italy—the company slaughtered 12.6 million head of cattle last year, an increase of 15.9% compared with 2009.

Share this story: