Animal protein prices trend firmer across multiple regions

Global animal protein complex prices were mixed to mostly firmer in the week to Thursday April 9.

Australia and New Zealand

Trade prices for Australia and New Zealand were steady to stronger during the week, with most market participants communicating higher demand in domestic markets. Australian contacts said export trade for poultry meal and feathermeal continued to sit below Australian domestic prices due to weakened interest.

Fastmarkets assessed feathermeal, 80 Pro, export, delivered container terminal, Australia at A$720-740 per tonne ($508-522), down from A$975-1,025 per tonne week on week. Market sources communicated a significant variance between Australian domestic and export prices due to losses in export demand.

Fastmarkets assessed poultry by-product meal, petfood grade, 65 Pro, delivered Australia at A$1,130-1,160 per tonne, up from A$1,115-1,150 per tonne week on week.

Most market contacts in New Zealand communicated steady prices during the week, though an upward tick in meat and bone meal demand ahead of Easter moved prices higher.

Fastmarkets assessed meat and bone meal, bovine, 45 Pro, export, fca New Zealand at NZ$630-650 per tonne ($522-538), higher from NZ$610-625 per tonne week on week.

Fastmarkets assessed meat and bone meal, bovine, 50 Pro, export, fca New Zealand at $730-750 per tonne, firmer from $700-715 per tonne week on week.

Meat & Livestock Australia reported cattle slaughter at 130,458 head for the week to Friday April 3, down 13,429 head year on year.

Year-to-date slaughter reached 1.931 million head, up 5.4% from the same period in 2025.

Brazil

Brazilian meat and bone meal (MBM) prices edged slightly higher in domestic and export markets in the week to April 9, but market participants told Fastmarkets they expect prices to come under downward pressure ahead.

Fastmarkets assessed meat and bone meal, bovine, 40-45 pro, cif São Paulo, with tax at 1.65-1.95 Reais ($0.32-0.37) per kg on Thursday, slightly up from 1.60-1.85 Reais per kg a week earlier.

Deals were heard concluded during the week in Sao Paulo at 1.70-1.80 Reais per kg without tax and with 4.8% tax, equivalent to 1.80-2.00 Reais per kg with 12% tax, which is Fastmarkets’ reference. Deals for lower-protein MBM (40%) were heard concluded at 1.55-1.60 Reais per kg without tax, equivalent to 1.74-1.80 Reais per kg with 12% tax.

Despite the slight week-on-week uptick in prices, several market participants said they believe prices could lose momentum in the coming weeks.

Buyers were heard to have lowered their bids from last week and although deals continued to be concluded at higher levels, this could change ahead.

“I received lower bids but did not close any deals at those levels as I believe fundamentals still support higher prices. That could possibly change next month,” a seller said.

The recent surge in Brazil’s MBM prices, with domestic prices’ midpoint rising from 0.83 Reais per kg on January 2 to 1.80 Reais per kg this week, was mainly driven by scarce supplies, but demand is not seen as sufficiently strong to sustain current prices.

On the export front, trading activity remained slow during the week. Fastmarkets assessed meat and bone meal, bovine, min 50 pro, fob S/SE ports Brazil at $290-330 per tonne, up week on week from $285-325 per tonne previously.

High domestic prices have been hampering exports in recent weeks, sources said, with exporters also facing headwinds from the US-Israel war in Iran.

With the US-Iran ceasefire announced late on Tuesday, export flows could resume to key destinations near the conflict, but this will depend on the duration of the ceasefire.

This could help channel Brazilian MBM volumes to the seaborne export market and could contribute to tightening the supply-demand balance, providing some further support to prices despite the overall bearish market sentiment. It could also help Brazilian exporters alleviate logistics constraints as some market participants reportedly have a large number of containers blocked from leaving the Persian Gulf since the war began.

China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Southeast Asia and Vietnam

Most prices were flat to higher week on week, with most market participants communicating active to brisk demand on the export front into the Asia-Pacific regions.

Fastmarkets’ daily price assessment for meat and bone meal, bovine, export, cfr China was $530-570 per tonne on Thursday, up from $515-550 per tonne a week earlier.

Fastmarkets’ daily price assessment for meat and bone meal, bovine, export, cfr Indonesia was $540-560 per tonne on Thursday, stronger from $520-550 per tonne a week earlier.

Fastmarkets’ daily price assessment for poultry by-product meal, petfood grade, 65 Pro, US export, cfr Southeast Asia was $840-860 per tonne on Thursday, firmer from $810-830 per tonne a week earlier.

Fastmarkets’ daily price assessment for feathermeal, 80 Pro, US export, cfr Southeast Asia was $570-590 per tonne on Thursday, higher from $560-580 per tonne a week earlier.

Fishmeal
According to market sources, fishmeal prices were higher during the week, reportedly due to a combination of lower 2026 quotas and increased demand, particularly from the aquaculture industry.

Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for fishmeal, steam dried prime, min 67% protein, fob Chile was $2,440-2,490 per tonne, up from $2,300-2,320.

Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for fishmeal, steam dried prime, min 67% protein, fob Peru was $2,385-2,490 per tonne, up from $2,350-2,385.

Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for fishmeal, steam dried super prime, min 68% protein, FOB Chile was $2,485-2,540 per tonne, up from $2,300-2,330.

Fastmarkets’ weekly price assessment for fishmeal, steam dried super prime, min 68% protein, fob Peru was $2,485-2,540 per tonne, up from $2,400-2,425.

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