Sheep and goat production in Latin America is being "sheared" by weather events and economic shocks in the regional and world economies.
After the pandemic, although without losing its resilience, the producer of these herds, generally typical of hostile lands and climates, is concerned about this scenario.
As a reference, already in 2021, live sheep and goats was the export with the 763rd position (0.0094%) of the total international foreign trade. With a volume of $ 1.98 billion (or billion) US dollars.
Meanwhile, sheep and goat meat exports (whole and half dressed; edible cuts, bones and derivatives, fresh or refrigerated) ranked 343rd (0.050%) of the global total, $ 10.5 billion.
Sheep and goat meat
In 2021, the top global sheep and goat meat exporters were New Zealand, $ 4.35 billion; Australia, $ 3.25 billion; United Kingdom, $ 631 million; Ireland, $ 419 million; and Spain, $ 321 million.
The list of Latin American countries in 2021 included Uruguay, $125 million; Chile, $40 million; Argentina, $ 20 million; Mexico, $ 13 million; Brazil, $ 2 million; Nicaragua, $ 240,471; Paraguay, $87,438; Cuba, $ 11,372; Guatemala, $ 1249; Dominican Republic, $ 365; and Panama, $ 349.
Standing animals
Exports of live animals sheep and goats, between 2021 and the end of the pandemic in 2023, were led by Canada, Spain, South Africa, USA, Russia, UK, Belgium, China, Brazil. Chile, Sweden, Japan and South Korea.
In 2022, only Chile, $ 44,000; Uruguay, $29,000; and Paraguay, $ 27,000, exported meagerly in Latin America. Argentina, Brazil and Mexico had no sales since 2019- 2020. Uruguay plummeted after 2020, when it sold $ 8.450 million.
Wool and wool by-products
In 2021, wool and wool products from Latin America were sold primarily from Peru, Uruguay and Argentina, which averaged $ 170 million. They were followed by Mexico, Brazil, Chile, between $ 33 million and $ 18 million, and Bolivia, Guatemala, Ecuador and Colombia.
In the same year, wool - sheared, uncarded and uncombed, among others - was the 615th product (0.017%) among all those in world trade. Its total value $ 3.65 billion.
In 2021 the world's leading wool exporters were Australia, $ 2,570 billion; China, $ 1,930 billion; Italy, $ 1,700 billion; Germany, $ 500 million; South Africa, $ 420 million; United Kingdom, $380 million; New Zealand, $ 320 million.
Distressing panorama
The Uruguayan Wool Secretariat (SUL) reported in its latest bulletin that, between January and June 2023, total sheep exports by value fell 13%. Sheep and by-products, 22%.
The only optimistic figures are the frozen bone-in sheep meat figures, 2 % more than in the first half of 2022. China was the main buyer (61 %), followed by Brazil (18 %).
Argentine Patagonia has been plagued by drought for four years. The producer Miguel O'Byrne commented to the digital newspaper Bichos de Campo: "In Santa Cruz there were 8 million sheep. This year we estimate it will be 1.8 million.".
Historically, there were more than 20 million sheep in Patagonia. Today, only 7 million.
