Paraguay’s beef market is being given a major boost as exports open up to more countries along with the nation being declared as having the ‘best business climate in the region in 2024.
Paraguay has seen a significant increase in its beef exports in the first two months of this year, with a total of 50,230 tons, worth US$241million, being exported, marking a 7.9% increase in volume and 12.8% increase in income compared to the same period last year.
It comes after the Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP) declared the country, with a 2024 forecast GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of 3.8%, to have the fastest growing economy in the region ahead of Brazil, Peru and Uruguay.
BCP President Carlos Carvallo said at the end of 2023 that he foresaw a favourable dynamic in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy with a ‘strong recovery on the radar for livestock.’
It comes as Paraguay’s fresh beef export market is growing with new export agreements reached with Canada in late 2023 and with Saudi Arabia in early 2024.
Brown&Co is currently marketing a major beef production investment opportunity with the sale of Estancia La Huella, a 44,000 ha freehold property with a total, as at March 2024, of 54,000 head of cattle making it one of the pre-eminent quality grazing/grass fed beef operators in Paraguay.
There is a further 16,000 ha of leasehold land (available with an option to purchase), together with established and profitable share farming operations.
Situated in the Gran Chaco region, the business comes with Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Wildlife Friendly Farming certification. The first commercial beef grazing operation to achieve this certification in Paraguay and testament to the conservation practices and jaguar protection programme La Huella has in place. The estate specialises in high quality Brangus beef genetics and breeding, rearing and fattening across a cell grazing production platform with a strong emphasis on sustainable, low-cost production practices.
Charles Whitaker, Managing Partner, Brown&Co, said: “We consider Paraguay to be one of the globally lowest cost beef producers of quality grass fed breeding and finishing cattle and large scale producers such as La Huella are poised to do well in supplying higher value export markets”.
“This European managed operation represents a unique opportunity to enter an undervalued market with significant scope to expand and a solid track record of doing so”.
“La Huella and Paraguay also represents perhaps the closest to net zero beef production as it is possible to achieve given the near organic nature of production practices and the circa 50% undisturbed native scrub/forest reserve which remains in place on the Estancia under the UN REDD+ approved land development programme.”
