Argentina pork consumption hits records amid beef price gap

Pork consumption in Argentina is reaching record levels, driven largely by significant price advantages over beef. According to data from the Federación Porcina Argentina (FPA), pork cuts are substantially cheaper than their beef counterparts. In butcher shops, beef cuts cost an average of 128% more than equivalent pork cuts, while the gap in hypermarkets averages 95%.

For example, the price of beef ribs (asado) averages $23,000 per kilo, whereas pork ribs (pechito) cost $8,200, allowing consumers to purchase nearly three kilos of pork for the price of one kilo of beef. Similar trends are seen in other cuts, such as pork loin and pork for milanesas, which offer significant savings for households.

Production and consumption metrics also show strong growth. Data from the Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería y Pesca (SAGYP) and the Asociación Pormag indicate that pork production grew 12.4% between January and August, reaching a record of over 592,000 tons. Annual consumption has reached approximately 20 kilograms per inhabitant, a figure that has nearly tripled over the last two decades.

Despite this growth, local producers face challenges from rising imports. Since January, 43,672 tons of pork have been imported, which is nearly four times the amount exported. Imports saw a significant year-on-year increase, particularly in August, raising concerns among local producers regarding competition from cheaper foreign products, specifically from Brazil.