Argentina meat consumption hits 20‑year low as demand and prices slump

Argentina’s per‑capita beef consumption fell to 47.5 kg per person in May, the lowest level in two decades and a 6.1 % year‑on‑year decline, according to the Cámara de la Industria y Comercio de Carnes y Derivados (Ciccra). The apparent beef volume dropped 11.1 % YoY to 855,750 t, while domestic slaughter fell 9.8 % to 4.94 million heads, making 2026 the sector’s lowest activity level in ten years.

The contraction is linked to weakened household purchasing power and higher relative beef prices, which are about double those of pork and chicken. Retailers report a shift toward pork, whose price is roughly half that of beef, prompting consumers to substitute cheaper cuts. Industry experts attribute part of the shortage to a long‑term decline in cattle stock – Argentina now has about 52 million head, well below its potential of 80 million – a loss traced to extreme climate events that reduced calf births by roughly 350,000 in the latest year.

Despite the domestic slump, beef exports rose 5.1 % YoY, driven mainly by higher demand from the United States. The broader private‑consumption picture also shows a slowdown, with overall retail demand down 2.2 % YoY in May and 62.6 % of supermarkets citing weak demand as the main constraint on activity.