Brazilian beef exports to Argentina hit record high amid cattle shortage

Amid a crisis in Argentina’s cattle industry, Brazilian beef exports to the neighboring South American country hit a record in the first half of this year. Shipments totaled 6,200 tonnes during the period — compared with 146.4 tonnes a year earlier.

“Argentina is a major beef producer, but it is a major producer that has been facing difficulties with its herd and should continue to do so for at least the next two years,” said Fernando Iglesias, Market Coordinator at Safras & Mercado.

According to data from Argentina’s National Service of Agri-Food Health and Quality (Senasa), the country’s cattle herd declined by 5% between 2017 and 2024, to 51.62 million head, due to both climate-related issues and economic crises in Argentina.

“At this pace, Argentina’s cattle herd will fall below 50 million head this year,” estimates Iglesias.

As a result, Argentina’s cattle slaughter volume also fell over this period, reaching 13.924 million head in 2024. This figure was 4.1% lower than the previous year, resulting in per capita beef consumption in Argentina reaching the second-lowest level in history in 2024 — 47.7 kilograms per year — according to data from the Chamber of the Meat Industry and Trade (Ciccra).

“The persistent and severe drought that ended in 2023 accelerated the slaughter of animals and disrupted the breeding and calving cycle, which led to fewer calves being slaughtered in 2024. At the same time, pasture recovery favored cattle rearing in the fields and delayed the completion of herds for slaughter over the course of the year,” the Chamber noted in a report.

The drop in slaughter-ready cattle supply drove up beef prices in Argentina. In the first half of the year alone, prices rose by 58.8%. The higher beef prices also pushed up prices of other meats in the Argentine market: pork rose 62% and chicken climbed 48.2% in the first six months of 2025, according to data from the Argentine Beef Promotion Institute (IPCVA).

In this scenario, Brazilian exports of other proteins to Argentina also grew in the first half of this year, totaling 28,750 tonnes of pork (up 576.6%) and 10,540 tonnes of chicken (up 282.6%).

“Argentina is experiencing an improvement in the population’s purchasing power and views Brazil as a very competitive market. That’s why they are buying more Brazilian meat and will probably continue to do so, as beef prices are very high in several countries around the world,” said Iglesias, of Safras & Mercado.

Source: Globo Rural

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