Middle East chicken prices rise as Brazilian suppliers favor higher margin markets

Middle East chicken breast prices rose this week as Brazilian exporters allocate supply toward higher-paying European markets, while firm Asian leg trade continued to draw volumes away from lower-margin shawarma production. The combined effect tightened poultry availability across Middle Eastern ports, excluding Saudi Arabia, as Ramadan procurement begins.

Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed CIF Middle East skinless boneless chicken breast at $2,890/mt CIF Jebel Ali Oct. 20, up $10 from the previous assessment Oct. 17. Brazilian suppliers have raised offers to $2,900-$3,100/mt, reflecting stronger competition from both EU and Asian markets on other poultry cuts.

"Ramadan procurement has officially begun, with shipments needing to depart Brazil by the end of November to arrive before the holiday starts Feb. 16, 2026," a Turkish broker selling to the Middle East said.

Despite the timing, regional buyers are waiting for potential price softening before committing to large volumes.

A regional trader said that new shipments "will have to start at the latest by the end of November," adding that buyers "are waiting and hoping that the chicken prices will go down."

Some Middle East buyers have gradually started to accept these market conditions, with the latest and most price-competitive bids being shared around $2,850/mt CIF Jebel Ali, while the other bids have been shared between $2,750-$2,800/mt CIF Jebel Ali.

Regional cold storage prices for Brazilian-origin breast were reported around $2,750/mt ex-w UAE, limiting buyer interest in higher-priced offers from Brazil. Traders said these volumes will not cover full Ramadan requirements, and with Brazilian suppliers prioritizing higher-return destinations, importers may face shortages as the procurement window narrows.

Multi-regional dynamics

In the EU, chicken breast offers remain around $4,000-$4,100/mt CIF Rotterdam for natural chicken breast and salted chicken breast offers remain around $4,500-$4,600/mt CIF Rotterdam, giving Brazilian suppliers an incentive to prioritize European shipments over Middle Eastern sales. The newly opened market opportunities and higher margins in Europe were supporting firm seller sentiment on breast meat.

In addition, the Middle East shawarma market has been shaped by Asian leg demand. Brazilian producers were directing a greater share of output to North Asian buyers, where boneless leg provides better margins than deboned shawarma sold into the Middle East.

Brazilian shawarma offers reached $2,500/mt CIF UAE, further highlighting the strain on Middle East importers. Producers' focus on more profitable Asian sales has limited processed product availability, tightening supply for Ramadan-driven demand.

"I have bids at $2,350/mt but I cannot buy anything at this level from Brazil," a trader active in the Brazil-Middle East chicken trade said. "Producers are getting better prices in the Asian leg market than selling shawarma, so the fight for price is still there."

Platts CFR North Asia boneless leg assessments continue to reflect sustained demand, with prices supporting exporter confidence to hold firm across all regions. Platts North Asian chicken leg prices rebounded to pre-bird flu outbreak levels, climbing to an all-time high of $2,475/mt CFR Tokyo Oct. 16, after falling below $2,400/mt since May 18.

Market activity in North Asia picked up in early September, as Japanese importers anticipated reduced inventory after subdued trading activity since June and stronger demand heading into the end of the year.

With European buyers supporting higher breast values and Asian importers maintaining elevated leg prices, Brazilian suppliers continue to manage output across competing regional markets. Middle Eastern buyers were monitoring these trends closely, but unless offers ease or allocations shift, tight supply conditions are likely to persist in the weeks ahead.

Platts assessed the CIF Middle East chicken breast boneless skinless at $2,890/mt Oct. 21, unchanged from Oct. 20.