On average the March 2015 live pig price was at 66.29 BRL per arroba (11.5kg) equivalent to $21.08 in São Paulo State, while the arroba of feed cattle was at the average of 145.35 BRL ($46.23 per arroba) according to the ESALQ/BM&FBovespa Index.

In the wholesale market, pig quotes kept falling. On the average of March, common hog and special carcase prices fell by nine per cent and 9.2 per cent respectively.

Calf prices reached record high prices in Brazil.

On 31 March, the ESALQ/BM&FBovespa Index for animals, 8-12 months-old in Mato Grosso do Sul, closed at 1,444.22 BRL ($451.31 dollars), the highest real value of the Cepea series since it was created in 2000.

Over the month, the Index rose by 11.2 per cent.

Fed cattle process are also at high levels.

The ESALQ/BM&FBovespa fed cattle Index for São Paulo state closed at 147.61 BRL ($46.12 dollars) on 31 March.

The average of March Index, at 145.35 BRL ($46.23 dollars) is 14 per cent higher than the same month last year, when it was 127.41 BRL or $54.91 dollars.

In the Greater São Paulo wholesale market, apart from the beef carcase fall of 0.6 per cent in the accumulated March indez, the monthly average, at 9.07 BRL ($2.88 dollars) per kilo was the third highest in the Cepea series.

This was below the price in November last year when it reached 9.16 BRL per kilo or $3.59 /kilo and December 2014 when it was 9.15 BRL per kilo or $3.46/kilo.

The poultry sector is celebrating record revenue reached with fresh meat exports reaching 1.584 billion BRL ($503.81 million dollars) in March.

According to Secex data, this represents an increase of 29.7 per cent over February and of 28.7 per cent over March 2014.

The average price for broiler meat is also a record level, reaching 5.00 BRL per kilo ($1.59 dollar), 9.6 per cent higher than in February and 19.9 per cent higher than in March last year.

Exports of chilled broiler meat passed 300,000 tonnes, hitting 316,970 tonnes, an increase of 18.4 per cent on February and 7.4 per cent above March last year.

It is the second highest volume to the Secex series, just under the 335.900 tonnes in March 2012.

In March this year, the large falls in price occurred in the wholesale market of South Eastern region.

In the wholesale market of Greater São Paulo, the chilled chicken had a fall of 5.14 per cent up to 31 March and frozen chicken saw a fall of of 4.52 per cent in the same period, with an average of 3.32 BRL per kilo ($1.03/kilo) and 3.38 BRL per kilo ($1.05 /kilo), respectively, on 31 March.