By Roberto Samora

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian meatpacker JBS is prepared for a likely shift in the country’s cattle cycle that could lead to reduced availability of animals for slaughter next year, an executive said on Wednesday.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

JBS is the world’s largest meat producer and Brazil, the No. 1 beef exporter. A decrease in cattle supply in the South American country would come at a time when other meat producing nations, including the United States, face similar shortages.

KEY QUOTES

“The imminence of the cattle cycle shift brings challenges. We are preparing through partnerships, contracts, and close relationships with ranchers to preserve our volumes,” Eduardo Pedroso, Executive Director of Origination at Friboi JBS, told reporters at an event in Sao Paulo.

“Wit

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