JBS confirms that hides are getting bigger
05/04/2016
Speaking at the 2016 Lectra Automotive Event in Bordeaux on April 5, Mr Motta said Brazil has a target of producing 15% more beef by 2023, to make a crucial contribution towards meeting global demand of (by then) 75.6 million tonnes, while increasing its cattle herd size by only 3% over the same period of time. He said the target is achievable because animals are becoming heavier and are going to slaughter more quickly.
“There has been a huge difference in the last 15 years,” he said. “Now only 5.5% of the hides we tan are small, which for us means less than 41 square-feet in area, while 34.7% are medium (42-51 square-feet), 50.3% are big (52-61 square-feet) and 9.5% are jumbo (more than 62 square-feet).”
Mr Motta went on to say that one recent container-load of JBS hides contained more than 10 hides that measured at least 100 square-feet each. He said that, in 1994, the average age of Brazilian cattle at the time of slaughter was five years old. By 2009, this had fallen to an average age of three. This compares to a maximum of two years in the US, he said. “Brazil is now achieving more meat per animal and more animals per hectare,” he said.
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