Reuters – Brazilian pork and poultry processor BRF SA expects food sales to return to pre-pandemic levels during the holiday season as consumers and families gather again after almost two years of social distancing.
In an interview with Reuters Dec. 1, Sidney Manzaro, who leads the company’s Brazilian operation, said he does not expect the confirmation of the first Omicron coronavirus cases in Brazil the day before to change the domestic food sales outlook.
“Celebrations, in homes among friends and family members, will be more intense than they are historically. We’ll have a boom in end-of-year celebrations that will be more intense than in 2019,” he said.
Coronavirus deaths have plummeted in recent months in Brazil, which has at multiple points been a global epicentre of the pandemic. Many authorities are pushing for raucous end-of-year and carnival festivities, though some cities have cancelled celebrations amid push-back from epidemiologists.
Manzaro said that such cancellations might not be as bad for meat consumption, as they will push people toward house parties.
