Livestock is shown at the Agricultural Market in Canuelas, Argentina, last month. Argentina, one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of beef, has seen prices for beef rise appreciably, in part because of reduced supply. File Photo by Matias Martin Campaya/EPA
Argentines began the year paying significantly more for beef, one of the country’s most traditional foods. Prices rose 4.9% in Buenos Aires in January and climbed 73.4% over the past 12 months, according to a report from the Argentine Beef Promotion Institute.
In the annual comparison, beef prices by percentage rose than double the increase in chicken prices and more than triple that of pork.
Year-over-year, inflation reached 32.4%, meaning that even in a country accustomed to high inflation, beef prices rose at a much faster rate.
The impact is clearer when comparing prices directly. In January 2025, a 2.2 pounds of beef cost an average of 9,241 pesos, or about $6.60 at the time. One year later, the price reached 16,019 pesos, of about $11.49.
José María Romero, a former undersecretary of livestock and animal production, told UPI that beef prices in Argentina have risen 450% since November 2023.
He said national beef production has remained stagnant for decades at about 3 million to 3.2 million metric tons annually, while the population has grown steadily, increasing domestic demand.
“If we add to this high international demand and lower production among the main suppliers in the global market, we face a scenario of strong demand and a very significant increase in prices in dollars due to product scarcity,” he said.
Romero noted that slaughter rates and total production declined in 2025 compared with 2024, further reducing supply for both domestic consumption and exports.
“To understand it, it is enough to say that 2024 was a record year for beef exports. It surpassed 2020, which had been the previous high, and also registered a 33% increase in revenue in dollars,” he said.
Javier Preciado Patiño, a former undersecretary of agricultural markets, offered a similar assessment.
“Slaughter fell in January and production dropped 10%. It is a significant decline,” he told UPI. The contraction directly affects available supply and pushes prices higher.
At the same time, exports of high-value cuts have increased, particularly to countries such as the United States, the European Union, Israel and Chile. The shift in export composition boosted volumes abroad and intensified competition between local and international markets.
Producers also have held back cattle.
“There was good pasture production because it was a rainy year. Producers withdraw supply and prefer that their cattle gain weight with inexpensive feed such as grass,” Preciado Patiño said.
He added that expectations of stronger business conditions in coming years have encouraged producers to retain livestock rather than send animals to slaughter, reducing immediate supply and sustaining upward price pressure.
Romero said higher exports to markets such as the United States create additional tension in domestic prices.
“Production is not growing at the pace of domestic and foreign demand. That tension translates into price increases due to scarcity amid high demand,” he said.
Although no set date exists for implementing a recently announced agreement with the United States that would expand Argentina’s beef import quota, nor for a potential trade deal between Mercosur and the European Union, Romero said both factors could add pressure.
“Up to 80,000 additional metric tons could be added to the current 20,000-ton U.S. quota if there is willingness to purchase. The volume will depend on demand in that market,” he said.
He said trade liberalization agreements offer advantages in diversifying destinations, but also require greater supply.
“Production volume does not increase from one year to the next. It is a long-cycle activity and expanding it would take several years,” he said.
On whether the surge is temporary or structural, Romero said that without changes in current conditions, prices are likely to remain high.
Preciado Patiño said the market is still seeking equilibrium.
“Of the 3 million metric tons produced, about 900,000 are exported and 2.1 million remain in Argentina. When consumers can no longer pay more, that is when equilibrium will appear,” he said.
