Live cattle exports up 25% in 2024/25

Live cattle exports grew by 76,000 head in the 2024/25 fiscal year (July–June), a 25% increase, driven by growing demand from Turkey, where finished cattle prices are extremely high —quoted above US$ 11 per kilo carcass weight (see Europe).

According to export application data from Customs, Uruguay exported 386,765 head of cattle in 2024/25, the second-highest volume on record, surpassed only by the 451,000 head exported in 2017/18.

Turkey accounted for 331,817 head, or 86% of the total. This share was down from 92% in 2023/24 due to the emergence of other significant buyers, such as Morocco and Israel, which purchased 23,000 and 16,000 head respectively in the first half of 2025.

Live cattle exports brought in US$ 353 million in revenue for Uruguay, with an average value per head of US$ 913.