A new force in the franchising world is making its debut with the launch of Dine Growth Group, a franchise sales organization designed exclusively to support the growth of restaurant brands. Regional full-service, family-dining wings franchise East Coast Wings + Grill and emerging restaurant concept Sammy’s Sliders will be the two pioneering brands under the DGG umbrella.
The franchising veterans behind DGG
Leading the charge at DGG as chief development officer is Carrie Evans, former vice president of franchise development for Chicken Salad Chick. Evans has spent the last 22 years working on the franchise development side of the business for food brands of all sizes, including CiCi’s Pizza, MOOYAH Burgers, Fries and Shakes, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and most recently Chicken Salad Chick. As chief development officer, Evans will spearhead the day-to-day operations of the business.
Carrie Evans will serve as Dine Growth Group’s chief development officer. Evans has a 22-year-history in franchising with food brands, most recently with Chicken Salad Chick. Courtesy of Dine Growth Group.
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Dive Brief:
Kroger posted $33.9 billion in sales during the second quarter, a level that was essentially flat compared with the same period in 2023, the grocer reported Thursday. Identical sales growth excluding fuel came in at 1%.
The company recorded a profit during Q2 after generating a loss during the second quarter of 2023 stemming in part from an opioid settlement. Kroger said it now expects same-store sales growth for 2024 to fall in the range of 0.75% to 1.75%, up from its previous guidance of 0.25% to 1.75%
The earnings report likely represents the final public look at Kroger’s financial performance before a federal judge rules on the Federal Trade Commission’s bid to block the company’s planned merger with Albertsons.
Dive Insight:
Kroger made the case in its earnings release that its ongoing efforts to lower prices are propelling a virtuous cycle that helps shoppers save money while also enabling investors to make a profit. Reducing costs for consumers helps the company improve efficiency while also boosting its alternative profit businesses, which rely on data and traffic from its retail operations, according to the grocer.
“This flywheel enables Kroger to deliver exceptional value for customers and investing in our associates, and by doing so, we are well-positioned to generate attractive and sustainable returns for shareholders,” Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen said in a statement.
The company has presented its goal of bringing down costs for shoppers as a central tenet of the merger plan, and McMullen reiterated that point on Thursday as he presented an air of confidence about the company’s ability to see the embattled transaction through to completion. Kroger and Albertsons have been facing off against regulators since late August in a trial expected to wrap up in the coming days.
“As the preliminary injunction trial with the FTC nears its conclusion, we are confident in the facts and the strengths of our position,” McMullen said Thursday during an earnings call. “As I have said before, we remain committed to closing the merger, because it will provide meaningful and measurable benefits for customers, associates and communities across the country, and we look forward to bringing these commitments to life.”
McMullen also nodded during the call to the possibility that the judge could grant the FTC’s request for an order to halt the merger. “Regardless of the outcome of the trial, Kroger is operating from a position of strength, and we are optimistic about our future. Our business is more diverse than ever, and our value creation model provides us with multiple ways to drive sustainable growth,” he said.
Kroger has seen shoppers become tighter with their spending in recent months, and the company has responded by taking steps to keep prices down, McMullen said. Customers have been buying lower-cost cuts of meat and concentrating more on essential goods as they struggle to manage their budgets, he noted.
Revising the lower end of its identical sales guidance underscores the strength Kroger feels it has in reaching price-conscious shoppers. Over 90% of households that made purchases from Kroger during Q2 bought private label products, McMullen said. The grocer added 223 new private label items to its assortment during the quarter, in part by expanding its Smart Way line of budget-priced products, according to the earnings release.
While Kroger’s quarterly sales barely budged year over year and same-store sales moved up only incrementally, the company was able to bounce back from the earnings shortfall it posted during the second quarter of 2023. During that period, the company took a $1.4 billion charge related to opioid claims and dealt with the impact of its decision to stop working with pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts.
Kroger brought in an operating profit of $815 million during its latest quarter, which ended Aug. 17, compared with a $479 million quarterly loss a year ago.
Kroger’s e-commerce sales rose 11% during Q2, led by 17% growth in delivery, Interim CFO Todd Foley told investors. Pickup sales grew 10%, he said. The company has used artificial intelligence to improve its ability to fulfill online orders, which has helped reduce costs, Foley added.
Utz Foods’ Boulder Canyon brand introduced its first ranch product, Buffalo Ranch Canyon Cut Kettle Style Potato Chips. The chips are crafted with premium potatoes, cooked in avocado oil, and infused with spicy buffalo and tangy ranch flavor.
The chips are Kosher, certified gluten-free, contain no trans fats, and are Non-GMO Project Verified. Each 5.25oz bag will retail for $4.29, and they are available for purchase online or nationwide at Whole Foods and Sprouts stores.
The alliance, formalized at the MAHA 2024 trade fair, aims to transform plant proteins and agricultural byproducts into local, eco-friendly feed ingredients.
Strategic shift toward local protein
The venture offers a sustainable, locally sourced alternative for animal protein in Southeast Asia, a region increasingly dependent on soy imports, which are expected to reach one-third of global soy derivative imports by 2028.
Indonesia and Malaysia, dominating the global palm oil market with 83% of production (USDA, 2024), produce 8.9 million tons of low-value palm kernel meal annually. This byproduct, due to its high fiber content and low digestibility, is often exported, leaving Southeast Asia reliant on imported soy for animal feed.
The joint venture plans to use European Protein’s patented fermentation technology to convert palm kernel cakes into highly digestible feed for monogastric animals and farmed fish, aiming to reduce dependence on imported proteins. This technology will also be applied to soy, rapeseed, and seaweed, enhancing processing efficiency and minimizing environmental impacts.
Innovative technology
European Protein maintains that its proprietary solid-state lacto-fermentation, patented by its parent company Fermentationexperts, represents a “unique” industrial-scale application. It uses significantly less water and energy, cutting environmental impacts by up to 63% compared to traditional methods, according to a third-party study [1]. The process reportedly enhances the nutritional value and digestibility of feedstock while reducing antinutrients.
New fermentation plants
The joint venture will build two fermentation plants in Malaysia, expanding European Protein’s global network, which includes facilities in Denmark, Ukraine, and the US.
The first plant, with a €13.5m investment, is set to begin operations by Q4 2025 and will produce fermented proteins from rapeseed meal, soy, and seaweed. It will involve the conversion of an existing facility in Penang into GMP+-certified manufacturing plant. The second plant, for which the construction timeline is still under review, will focus on upgrading palm kernel meal into high-quality animal feed.
[1] Comparison of fermented soy with soy protein concentrate (SPC). Product Environmental Footprint calculation of Global Warming Potential (GWP) of fermented complementary feed from cradle to gate produced in bulk at European Proteins factory site in Denmark. Calculated by Bureau Veritas HSE Denmark following the LCA and PEF core rules from ISO 14025:2006 and EU COM EF Annex 1 and 2, 2023, version 1.1.
As the global protein markets face increasing complexities, we’re witnessing significant shifts in supply and demand dynamics across the beef, pork, and poultry sectors. From volatile export sales in the U.S. to China’s declining meat imports, the evolving landscape tells a story of economic headwinds, domestic production surpluses, and geopolitical tensions.
U.S. Export Struggles: Beef and Pork Sales in Flux
In the latest report from the USDA, U.S. beef export sales for 2024 fell to 11,400 metric tons (MT), marking a 31% drop from the previous week. This sharp decline is not just a weekly anomaly—it’s 41% lower than the prior four-week average. South Korea led the pack with 3,200 MT in sales, followed by Mexico (1,900 MT) and Japan (1,500 MT). But it’s clear that the downturn has spurred concern among producers. Even beef exports, which reached 11,800 MT, showed a significant 21% decline, largely driven by reduced shipments to key markets like China, which imported 1,800 MT.
Meanwhile, the U.S. pork market tells a different story. Net pork sales surged by 43% from the previous week to 29,700 MT, driven primarily by Mexico (14,200 MT) and Japan (4,300 MT). Pork exports, however, weren’t immune to challenges. While Mexico remains a solid buyer, accounting for 10,700 MT of the 25,700 MT in total pork exports, other markets such as Japan, China, and Colombia have seen steady declines.
The contrast between pork’s increasing sales and beef’s struggles underscores the importance of market-specific demand. But more broadly, it’s a reflection of global shifts that are rewriting the rules for international protein trade.
China’s Meat Import Slowdown: A New Normal?
Through the first eight months of 2024, China imported 4.40 million metric tons (MMT) of meat—a stark 13.9% drop compared to the same period last year. August imports alone fell by nearly 10% year-over-year, and beef has been hit particularly hard, with July volumes down a staggering 27%.
Several factors are at play here. China’s domestic meat production surged in 2023, providing an ample stockpile that has since reduced the need for imports. In addition, economic pressures have tightened consumer spending, shifting preferences toward cheaper protein options. And with import bans on certain U.S. facilities still in effect, the supply from American producers has faced further constraints.
Yet, while beef imports remain sluggish, pork imports may see a modest uptick as China attempts to offset a forecasted 3% decline in domestic production. However, even this increase is likely to be marginal, with China’s pork output falling by 0.4% in Q1 2024—the first such decline in nearly four years.
Global Impact: Shifting Trade Flows
The ripple effect of China’s declining imports is being felt globally. U.S. meat exports, especially beef, have dropped sharply, while Brazil has ramped up shipments to China, increasing its beef exports by 10.2% in the first half of 2024. Australia, faced with weaker Chinese demand, has redirected its exports toward the U.S. and Japan, both of which remain steady consumers of high-quality beef.
While the trade routes are shifting, the bottom line is clear: China’s reduced appetite for meat is reshaping global protein markets. As the country continues to balance domestic production with its economic slowdown, the rest of the world is adjusting in real time.
National Pork Producers Council (NPPC): An Industry in Need of Solutions
At a recent virtual briefing, NPPC CEO Brian Humphreys laid out the urgent challenges facing the U.S. pork industry. “We’re here to find solutions, not just discuss challenges,” Humphreys said, pointing to the critical need for a 2024 Farm Bill, a legislative fix for California’s Proposition 12, and a robust trade agenda.
Proposition 12 remains a particularly contentious issue. The 2018 California law restricts the sale of pork products not raised under the state’s stringent housing regulations. According to the NPPC, this has placed undue burdens on pork producers outside of California, leading to a 20% increase in pork prices and a 20% decrease in supply. “We cannot continue down this path of unscientific rules and regulations,” Humphreys noted.
Labor shortages also loom large over the industry, as the availability of skilled workers dwindles. Despite some policy changes aimed at streamlining the TN visa program, pork producers have struggled to secure the labor needed to run operations efficiently. As Humphreys put it, “It just seems like every day there’s less and less TNs approved. We’ve been to the State Department, and we’ve been to the White House, but nothing has changed.”
Add to that rising production costs—up 25% over the past three years due to spikes in feed, transportation, and labor costs—and it’s clear the pork industry is facing a perfect storm of challenges.
A Global Perspective: Protein Markets Under Pressure
It’s not just the U.S. and China feeling the squeeze. Across the globe, protein markets are in a state of flux. The U.S. faces export headwinds as China scales back, while Brazil and Australia seek to fill the gap. Domestically, pork producers battle labor shortages, rising costs, and regulatory burdens.
For consumers, the impact is palpable—higher prices at the grocery store and fewer choices. For producers, the challenges are existential, as they navigate the ever-evolving demands of a global protein market in transition.
As we move forward, the big question remains: How will global protein markets adapt to these seismic shifts in supply and demand?
There has been widespread international condemnation of a Russian missile strike on a Greek-operated bulk carrier off Romania this week, although security analysts are unsure whether this was a hit specifically aiming at a merchant ship or a misguided strike as part of a wider campaign against Ukrainian infrastructure in the region.
The ship sustained damage to its port side, including a cargo hold and a crane. The vessel was built in 1997 and is operated by Piraeus-based VRS Maritime Services.
Data from MarineTraffic shows the ship left from Chornomorsk port in Ukraine at 7:31 am local time on Wednesday and made an urgent diversion having crossed international waters. Having been hit in Romania’s exclusive economic zone by a Kh-22 cruise missile with a 1,000 kg warhead which was launched from a Russian Tupolev Tu-22M bomber, the ship veered starboard and made for Romania’s territorial waters with images released showing much of the ship’s deck badly mangled. The vessel is currently anchored off Constanta, Romania’s largest port.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the incident via social media yesterday. He said that a Russian missile hit “an ordinary civilian vessel” carrying wheat cargo bound for Egypt after the ship had left Ukrainian waters.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said the strike was “a brazen attack on freedom of navigation and global food security” while the US ambassador to Ukraine “strongly condemned” the attack and said Russia was responsible. A United Nations spokesperson said the incident was a “stark reminder” of the threats still faced in the Black Sea by civilian vessels. Russia, for its part, has remain tight-lipped on the incident, the first confirmed attack on a merchant ship in the Black Sea since last November.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly requests the Russian Federation to stop any attack on commercial ships and to respect the freedom of navigation enjoyed by the states in the Black Sea,” Romania’s Foreign Ministry stated.
According to the Romanian ministry, the ship was 55 km from Sfântu Gheorghe, a commune in Tulcea county in Romania’s exclusive economic zone when it came under attack. An exclusive economic zone is the maritime area adjacent to a nation’s territorial waters.
Whether the ship was an intentional target remains unclear. Kristian Bischoff, a threat analyst at Risk Intelligence, pointed out, via a post on social media, that the Russians have recently stepped up targeting of infrastructure on Zmiinyi Island (also known as Snake Island, made famous in the early days of the war between Ukraine and Russia) and nearby offshore platforms. The Russian missiles used tend to lock on to radio signatures or radar, and if no major radar installations are in place on, for example, Zmiinyi Island, the missiles then lock onto the next major signature nearby, which could well be vessels passing by.
Wholesale prices for imported shrimp in China increased in September ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival on Sept. 17 and National Day holidays from Oct. 1-7, according to leading online seafood platform Huacai Zhaoyu. […]
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The UK food and drinks industry has launched a campaign – dubbed Mmmake Your Mark – to try to get to grips with its problems in recruitment.
The campaign, funded by the IGD and endorsed by the UK government, is aiming to showcase the UK food and drink sector as a “dynamic and vibrant place to work”.
What impact could the campaign have?
What’s the issue here?
Put bluntly, a significant percentage of younger people in the UK don’t want to work in the food and drinks industry, compounding food security fears linked to labour shortages areas following the country’s departure from the EU.
In his foreword, review chair John Shropshire, chairman and former CEO of farming and marketing business G’s Fresh Group, said: “The industry currently faces difficulties in recruiting and retaining an adequate workforce. Factors such as low unemployment rates, changes in labour market dynamics and reduced access to workers from the European Union have contributed to these challenges. Additionally, overly bureaucratic and slow administration of visa applications during periods of stress and conflict have had a substantial impact.
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“Access to migrant labour has been crucial for filling labour gaps in the food supply chain but acquiring migrant labour has become increasingly challenging.”
None of this would have come as a surprise to the food industry with meatpackers and agri-food businesses bearing the brunt of post-Brexit labour shortages but recruitment problems being an issue more generally.
Nick Allen, CEO, of the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA), which represents UK meatpackers, said the sector had faced labour issues since the country’s departure from the EU stymied its ability to bring in workers from abroad.
“Labour is a big one for us. There needs to be recognition that our sector has got specific requirements, which needs to cut through the other noise around the politics of immigration,” Allen said.
Another review, which was published this summer, concluded the UK’s Seasonal Worker Scheme (SWS) needs to be retained in the short-to-medium term.
The current SWS began life as a pilot in 2019 and will run until at least 2029. It was an acknowledgement that the end of the free movement of labour between the UK and the EU post-Brexit has left certain agri-food sectors facing a shortage of workers, leading to food security fears about supplies on supermarket shelves.
What is being done about it?
The Independent Review (let’s call it) made a number of recommendations, although it should be noted these were recommended to a government that is no longer in power.
Among the recommendations was to retain the SWS, with improvements including the consideration of removing the cap on the total number of visas and extending the length of visas to nine months.
The review also recommended the eligibility criteria for the skilled worker route to reclassify occupations so they become eligible and reduce the high financial costs to access the route. It said it is essential that reviews of the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) take place more frequently and the English language requirement is relaxed.
Another recommendation was that the Apprenticeship Levy should be reformed with industry input to provide a skilled workforce and enable greater access for SMEs [small- and medium-sized enterprises].
Industry body the Food and Drink Federation (FDF)’s recent State of Industry Report also highlighted that reforms to the Apprenticeship Levy would “help the industry thrive by addressing both the skill gaps and labour shortages”.
Perhaps the most interesting recommendation form the Independent Review was to implement a comprehensive strategy to enhance sector attractiveness.
To improve the image of the sector, the review suggested a role for the UK’s Food & Drink Sector Council (FDSC). The council is a “formal” partnership between government and industry, with members including industry bodies the FDF and the British Retail Consortium, supermarket giant Tesco and food and beverage heavyweight PepsiCo. The review said the council must lead a “comprehensive strategy” that includes communication campaigns targeted at changing public perception about the sector and developing careers advice provided by schools and education/training providers.
While the new government will have its own thoughts about how to tackle the sector’s labour issues of course, it has backed this last recommendation.
Two weeks ago, the government-endorsed Mmmake Your Mark campaign was launched, showcasing the sector as a “dynamic and vibrant place to work”.
The campaign, convened by the IGD, on behalf of the FDSC, quoted recent research that showed that nearly half (49%) of 16-24 year olds have never considered a career in the food and drink industry and that he roles of software engineer (51%), data scientist (41%), technologist (41%) and biochemist (36%) are four job roles that 16-24-year olds are unaware exist in food and drink.
The Mmmake Your Mark campaign video. Credit: IGD
Mmmake Your Mark is described as “the beginning of closer industry collaboration to attract future talent into the sector”.
The statement accompanying the launch said work is already underway to strengthen ties between the industry and the careers system, including rolling out nationwide initiatives in schools, colleges, job centres, and prisons “to inspire more people to go further with food and drink”.
Daniel Zeichner, the new Labour government’s minister for food security and rural affairs,” said: “Food security is national security, and the backbone of a robust food supply chain is a skilled domestic workforce.
“Attracting bright new talent to the industry is vital for the future of UK food and this campaign showcases the UK’s food and drink industry as a vibrant place to work, giving the next generation an opportunity to Mmmake Your Mark.”
Sarah Bradbury, the co-chair of the FDSC workforce sub-committee and the CEO of the IGD, said: “You can pursue a huge range of careers within food and drink – and together, we’ll show that it’s a place where each individual can make an impact, with great opportunities for development and progression.”
How has the food and drinks industry reacted to the campaign?
The IGD says the campaign has the support of more than 40 industry organisations, including the FDF, the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers and major food and drinks manufacturers including Nestlé, Associated British Foods and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.
Elsewhere within the industry, there has been a positive response, as one might expect for an initiative that is attempting to create more jobs for an industry that has suffered labour issues for years.
Nan Jones, BMPA’s technical policy manager, told Just Food: “The campaign is a positive step which BMPA fully supports and which our members are getting behind. The focus on creating more localised job opportunities and addressing skill gaps in rural areas aligns well with the issues raised in the Shropshire Review on labour shortages.
Championing careers in the industry on a national scale and highlighting the sector’s importance can make an impact.
Nan Jones, The British Meat Processors Association
“The food industry often struggles to attract attention as a viable and successful career path, so championing careers in the industry on a national scale and highlighting the sector’s importance can make an impact both in the short term to fill current vacancies and in the longer term.”
Rod Addy, director general of The Provision Trade Federation (PTF), which represents manufacturers in areas such as meat, dairy and seafood, added: “The PTF wholeheartedly endorses the Mmmake Your Mark campaign’s mission to showcase the attractiveness of the food industry to job seekers. In particular, the campaign’s emphasis on highlighting the variety of roles even within food manufacturing is sorely needed.
“What is called for is a truly coordinated approach embracing all public institutions, including learning bodies, prisons and charities. Many posts within the sector require a high level of skill, which is why the PTF would argue for a re-evaluation of the £38,700 ($50,356) salary threshold for skilled worker visas, to include butchers, production managers, food safety and technical personnel. UK salaries for all these professions are currently below the threshold, yet they are vital to keeping food factories running.”
Balwinder Dhoot, director of industrial growth and sustainability at The Food & Drink Federation. Credit: FDF
Balwinder Dhoot, director of sustainability and growth at the FDF, said: “As the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, it is vital that we encourage new talent to join the food and drink industry. Our industry has lots of great jobs and a productive and diverse workforce will help our industry to thrive and identify creative solutions to future challenges. We’ll continue to work closely with the Food and Drink Sector Council, alongside other industry partners, to inspire the next generation to join our sector.”
At the British Soft Drinks Association, its director general Gavin Partington also welcomed the move. He said: “One of the most important keys to success in soft drinks is our people and any scheme with the goal of helping the industry thrive and grow can only be a good thing.
“Our members are committed to investing in skills for the future, both for the people already working in soft drinks and for those taking their first steps into employment, and Mmmake Your Mark further supports these efforts.”
Is the campaign likely to work?
Making the food and drinks industry attractive to UK jobseekers will need to be deftly handled in an era in which manufacturing of any kind struggles to attract talent when other career choices are seen as more glamorous and rewarding.
What is certain, however, is some of the larger issues around labour, those linked to the UK leaving the EU especially, will remain.
The new Labour government has talked about the importance of food security and, in Zeichner, now has a minister for food security and rural affairs, but what this means in terms of action is the important thing.
A Policy Exchange report published earlier this month outlined steps for industry and the UK government to drive innovation and support growth in the country’s largest manufacturing sector. It was welcomed by the FDF, which supported the call for the government to develop a national food security strategy that encompasses the entire food ecosystem.
Karen Betts, the FDF CEO, said: “Taking the right policy decisions now, weighed across Whitehall departments and as recommended by Policy Exchange, will lay the foundations for UK food security into the future.”
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent meetings with French and German leaders were said to be part of a wider “reset” of relations with the EU.
But mindful of alienating Brexit voters, and even more mindful about the current narrative around immigration, Starmer was careful to stress his government has no plans to agree to an EU proposal that could allow young people to live in the UK for up to four years – and vice versa. In its manifesto, issued before July’s General Election, it said it would reduce net migration as “failure to do so reduces the incentives for businesses to train locally”.
Labour said it would ensure that migration to address skills shortages “triggers a plan to upskill workers and improve working conditions in the UK”.
But it warned: “The days of a sector languishing endlessly on immigration shortage lists with no action to train up workers will come to an end.”
And therein lies the rub. The Mmmake Your Mark campaign may well be able to convince graduates or apprentices keen on data scientist, technologist and biochemist careers that this is an industry well worth considering, but big gaps will remain in less skilled areas. Working in an abattoir or fish processing factory or doing back-breaking work picking fruit and vegetables in the fields is not such an easy sell to the domestic population. That’s why it’s been largely migrants doing these jobs in the first place.
In its recently-published Meat Industry Manifesto, the BMPA warned: “The British abattoir industry is under threat from falling farm production, increasingly onerous trade barriers and a systemic labour shortage. Abattoir numbers have declined from around 2,500 in the 1970s to just 203 today.
“This should worry UK consumers and government alike because, once we go beyond a tipping point where we don’t have a viable abattoir industry, it will lead to a sharper decline in domestic farming, a heavier reliance on imported meat and the loss of a key pillar of UK food security.”
Unfortunately, the word abattoir is unlikely to appear in any scheme trying to attract UK talent into the food industry.
Average value of exports exceeds $200,000 dollars/ton
13 September 2024
2 minute read
The average price of Brazilian chicken meat exports exceeded the level of $2,000 per ton, according to a survey by the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA). In August, the average price per ton exported reached US$ 2,089, 8.9% higher than that recorded in the same period last year, of $1,918. It is the highest average price since August 2022, at $2,106 per ton.
In total, 379.8 thousand tons were shipped in August, a volume 12.3% lower than in the same period last year, with 433.3 thousand tons. In revenue, the drop was smaller, 4.5%, with $793.6 million recorded in August this year, against $831 million in the same period last year. Revenue in Reais grew 8.1%, with R$4.406 billion in August this year, against R$4.074 billion in the eighth month of 2023.
In the year (January to August), the volume of chicken meat shipped reached 3.432 million tons, a volume 1.8% lower than the same period last year, with 3.495 million tons. Revenue recorded in the first eight months of 2024 reached $6.319 billion, a balance 7.8% lower than the same period last year, with $6.858 billion. Revenue in Reais accumulated in the year totaled R$33.004 billion, a balance 4.1% lower than the previous year, with R$34.412 billion.
“The flow of shipments recorded so far follows a monthly average equivalent to that of the 12 months of 2023, settling at around 430 thousand tons,” said Ricardo Santin, president of ABPA.
In the survey by destination, the United Arab Emirates took first place, with 39.2 thousand tons imported from Brazil in August, a figure 17% lower than in the same period last year. At a different pace, shipments to Japan grew 32%, reaching 39 thousand tons. Next came South Africa, with 28.1 thousand tons (+11%), Saudi Arabia, with 26.9 thousand tons (-28%) and China, now in fifth place, with 16.3 thousand tons (-69%).
In the survey by state, Paraná continues to lead exports, with 161.2 thousand tons exported in August (-2.7%), followed by Santa Catarina, with 84.2 thousand tons (-14.1%), Rio Grande do Sul, with 37.8 thousand tons (-42.5%), São Paulo, with 23.8 thousand tons (-3.1%) and Goiás, with 17.8 thousand tons (+4.3%).
“The average price was strongly influenced by the growth in shipments to high value-added markets, such as Japan,” said Santin. “On the other hand, there was a loss of shipping windows in certain ports, especially in Paranaguá, where there is a large backlog of logistics flow. Specific effects of Newcastle Disease also contributed to the lower result, especially in shipments to China and Mexico.”
Bonnie & Pop has consumers covered for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa gifting options. This mother-daughter owned business have put together a selection of gourmet treats for 2024, including chocolate, sweet and salty, fruity and creamy, and nutty and chewy flavors.
The brand is offering gourmet gift boxes and baskets, filled with premium chocolates, cookies, nuts, candies, and dried fruits.
The lineup includes:
Candy Cane Gift Tin: Milk, white, and dark chocolate truffles.
Sweets and Soldiers Assortment: Three Nutcrackers stuffed like stockings with festive snacks, including caramel popcorn, chocolate covered Oreos, and classic peanut brittle.
Musical Holiday Popcorn Carousel: A tin carousel that spins in a display of festive charm, with six gourmet popcorn flavors.
Holiday Jingle and Joy Assortment: Overflowing with holiday delights like belgium hazelnut truffles, candied chocolate almonds, and chocolate covered Oreos.
Delicious and Delightful: Includes snacks and confections such as including Pecan Snappers; Chocolate Haystack; White Chocolate Pretzel Cloud; Dark Chocolate Peanut Cluster; Milk Chocolate Almond Clusters; five Individually Wrapped Almond Toffee Petites; Yogurt, Chocolate, and Peanut Butter Mini Pretzels; Gold Foiled Double Chocolate Balls; Holiday Peanut Trail Mix; Peanut Brittle; and Butter Caramels.
The brand can also help with corporate gifting needs this season, and can accommodate customization requests. It also offers quantity order discounts, and can be reached at sales@bonnieandpop.com.
