While domestic consumption continues to decline, exports grew by 10.2%. Two curves that intersect and deepen their trend.
Between January and June, apparent consumption reached 1,019,430 tons of beef (bone-in), almost 132,000 tons less than a year ago. Measured per capita, the average for the last twelve months fell to 47 kilos per year, an 8.2% year-on-year decrease. Two decades ago, consumption exceeded 60 kilos per person. In June 2023, the twelve-month moving average was 53.8 kilos; it dropped to 48.3 kilos in 2024, reached 51.2 kilos in 2025, and then settled at the current 47 kilos.
Exports totaled 408,600 tons of bone-in beef in the first half of the year, some 38,000 tons more than in 2025. The main boost came from the expansion of the US import quota, a market that joins China as a major consumer of Argentine beef. The distribution of production destinations changed accordingly: a year ago, 75.6% remained in the domestic market and 24.4% was exported; in the first half of 2026, that ratio shifted to 71.4% for domestic consumption and 28.6% for export.
Several factors contributed to the drop in supply. Total production reached 1.428 million tons carcass weight, 6.2% less than in the same period of 2025, equivalent to 93,860 fewer tons processed by the meatpacking industry. CICCRA attributes this decline to the reduced availability of cattle for slaughter, although it notes that the higher average weight of the animals, favored by pasture-based rearing systems, partially offset the reduction. Behind this lower availability are the aftereffects of the 2022-2023 drought, which reduced the breeding stock, and the end of a three-year liquidation phase.
Regarding demand, the chamber identifies two causes: the reduced purchasing power of households and the increase in the relative price of beef over the past year . In March, the price of beef rose 10.6% in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, accumulating a 68.6% increase over twelve months, more than double the inflation rate, according to the Argentine Beef Promotion Institute (IPCVA), which placed the average price per kilo at 18,564 pesos. During the last quarter, however, CICCRA detected a moderation in price trends: in June, the average price of cuts registered a monthly decrease of 0.1%, with drops in ribs (-1.8%), rump (-0.9%), and sirloin (-0.5%), and increases in ground beef (2.1%) and shoulder (0.6%).
The shift in production towards export markets is a response to the price differences offered by various destinations. Given the decline in supply and increased export competition, the volume available for the domestic market could place annual per capita consumption at around 43 or 44 kilos, about 6 kilos less than the previous year. According to this estimate, in this scenario prices are likely to remain high, without significant changes at least until the second half of 2027.
The decline in beef consumption has its counterpart in other protein sources. Poultry consumption reached 47.7 kilos per capita, practically on par with beef. According to the Argentine Chamber of Poultry Producers (CAPIA), combined chicken and egg consumption is projected to reach approximately 75 kilos per person this year. In total, the Argentine diet includes 116.5 kilos of animal protein annually, a level that remains among the highest in the world but with a different composition than historically.
