Argentina’s beef consumption falls to lowest level in 20 years as prices soar
Beef prices rose more than 60% in a year, and households are buying chicken and pork instead, according to industry data.
- Red meat consumption in Argentina has fallen to its lowest level in two decades, according to the Agricultural Foundation for Argentina's Development, amid economic austerity measures imposed by President Javier Milei.
- When Milei took office in December 2023 with annual inflation at 211%, he implemented austerity measures to eliminate what he called "the cancer of inflation," which triggered beef prices to surge more than 60% over the past year.
- Annual per capita beef consumption fell to 44.5 kilograms as of April 2026, while families shifted to cheaper alternatives; chicken costs 4,900 pesos per kilogram in Buenos Aires.
- Butcher shop owner Jorge García reported customers are switching to pork ribs costing around 8,900 pesos per kilogram as household incomes fail to keep pace with rising service costs previously subsidized by the state.
- Beef exports surged 54% in the first quarter, totaling nearly 200,000 tons worth more than $1 billion, after Argentina's government removed production quotas and export taxes to encourage international sales.
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37 Articles
Argentinians wage inflation strike on red meat sending beef consumption to 20-year low
At 6 a.m., in the Mataderos neighborhood of Buenos Aires, workers unload sides of beef from a truck outside a butcher shop as customers line up for wholesale purchases. Inside, 73-year-old owner Jorge García and his staff prepare meat orders before dawn. Among the stacks of beef boxes and red meat cuts hanging from metal hooks, chicken and pork are increasingly present. Red meat consumption in Argentina — historically one of the world’s biggest …
Argentina's Beef Consumption Falls to Lowest Level in 20 ...
Associated Press News
Argentina’s beef consumption falls to lowest level in 20 years as prices soar
Argentina’s beef consumption has fallen to its lowest level in two decades as soaring prices and weakening purchasing power push many families to replace beef with cheaper proteins like chicken and pork.
Argentina's beef consumption falls to lowest level in 20 years as prices soar
Argentina’s beef consumption has fallen to its lowest level in two decades as soaring prices and weakening purchasing power push many families to replace beef with cheaper proteins like chicken and pork
Beef Consumption in Argentina Falls to Lowest Level in 20 Years
Argentina’s beef consumption has fallen to its lowest level in two decades as soaring prices and weakening purchasing power push many families to replace beef with cheaper proteins like chicken and pork Beef Consumption in Argentina Falls to Lowest Level in 20 Years.
In April 2026, the annual per capita consumption of meat among Argentines fell to 44.5 kilos, far from the 63.4 kilos recorded in 2006. The rise in meat prices, the lower livestock production and the loss of purchasing power explain this fall.
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