Argentina pork industry faces layoffs as meat prices drop

The Argentine pork industry is experiencing a significant crisis, leading to job losses and the suspension of production shifts at major meatpacking plants.

At the Friar meatpacking plant in Reconquista, Santa Fe, the company has suspended a full slaughter shift and dismissed 80 workers. This move follows previous administrative layoffs and voluntary retirement programs. The company, a primary private employer in the region, had previously entered into agreements with the Meat Workers Union to reduce working hours to preserve jobs, but the downturn has intensified.

Similarly, the firm Tutto Porky’s has terminated the contracts of 80 workers and halted its expansion plans. General Manager Guillermo González Davis attributed the decision to sales prices failing to cover production costs and intense competition from Brazilian imports. He noted that Brazil exported 7,000 tons of pork to Argentina in a single month, exerting downward pressure on domestic prices.

Both companies face challenges with global market conditions. Tutto Porky’s reported a depressed international market and difficulties exporting, noting that while they had accumulated up to 1,300 tons of inventory, they only managed to export 250 tons.