Brazil's food & beverage sales increase 0.8% in the first half of 2020

The Brazilian Food Industry Association stated that in the first half of this year, driven by increased exports and increased retail food consumption in the domestic market, the output of the Brazilian food and beverage industry increased by 2.7% compared with the same period last year, and sales increased by 0.8% compared with the same period last year. Among them, the large increase in output is: sugar (increased by 22.6% year-on-year), vegetable oil (increased by 3.9% year-on-year), and meat (increased by 1.9% year-on-year). Affected by the new crown epidemic, the sales of the food service industry (restaurants, bars, coffee houses, hotel catering, aviation and shipping catering, and convenience stores) fell 29.5% year-on-year. At the same time, 10,300 new jobs were created in the food and beverage industry in the first half of the year, an increase of 0.6% compared with the same period last year.
 
Abia's analysis pointed out that the COVID-19 virus epidemic has led to an increase in home food consumption and stimulated domestic food market consumption; expansion of production and the isolation of personnel caused by the COVID-19 epidemic have increased labor demand.