Argentina sees sharpest drop in beef consumption for 30 years!

[Larry]

I'm 'going to call bull' on the claim that there's an actual shortage and therefore they have to increase prices. It's like OPEC saying oil prices need to go up because there's an oil supply shortage after putting less oil on the market. I doubt there's a truly reliable source of actual number of cattle relatively to historical norms. Even OPEC knows to keep oil prices down so as not to push people more into alternative energy. They better be careful with their pricing or the shift to the relatively heavier chicken and pork will stick permanently in Argentina. If anything, they should be cutting prices to win back market share.... yes, yes, but, but, it's Argentina!

Lies and more lies. Inflation can't be contained. Peso will have to eventually devalue and inflation will go back up.

Prices at carnicerias are outrageous and keep going up. Now they say it will go up 10% more. Look at increases in beef prices that are mostly not selling. @TonyTigre is correct. Prices need to go down not up!

 

[Avocado]

Lies and more lies. Inflation can't be contained. Peso will have to eventually devalue and inflation will go back up.

Prices at carnicerias are outrageous and keep going up. Now they say it will go up 10% more. Look at increases in beef prices that are mostly not selling. @TonyTigre is correct. Prices need to go down not up!

Look at the prices of beef now. I don't care whatever excuse they are trying to make. It is crazy. Beef prices are now 8 times more expensive than chicken. Butchers are disgusting. They would rather let beef spoil and not sell it instead of discounting and selling more.

 

[Ron]

Despite this decline, beef remains a fundamental part of Argentine cuisine and culture. Many Argentinians continue to buy it, albeit in reduced quantities, reflecting its ongoing importance in the country’s eating habits. Sunday family barbecues are still sacred to locals.

 

[Johnny]

I'm 'going to call bull' on the claim that there's an actual shortage and therefore they have to increase prices. It's like OPEC saying oil prices need to go up because there's an oil supply shortage after putting less oil on the market. I doubt there's a truly reliable source of actual number of cattle relatively to historical norms. Even OPEC knows to keep oil prices down so as not to push people more into alternative energy. They better be careful with their pricing or the shift to the relatively heavier chicken and pork will stick permanently in Argentina. If anything, they should be cutting prices to win back market share.... yes, yes, but, but, it's Argentina!

🤣🤣 Yes I read that sales were at an all time low for beef. Raising prices when they already can't sell it makes no sense. My friend is down in BA now. He told me he went to a burger place in Palermo. I can't remember the name but he said they have 25,000 peso burgers there. $21 USD burgers. That is just crazy.

 

[Jenn]

I don't understand. How do the basic laws of supply and demand not work in Argentina?? It works most everywhere else in the world. How does this concept not work in Argentina?

 

[Betsy Ross]

I don't understand. How do the basic laws of supply and demand not work in Argentina?? It works most everywhere else in the world. How does this concept not work in Argentina?

Many things are like this in Argentina where fundamentals make no sense.

 

[Finance Prof]

🤣🤣 Yes I read that sales were at an all time low for beef. Raising prices when they already can't sell it makes no sense. My friend is down in BA now. He told me he went to a burger place in Palermo. I can't remember the name but he said they have 25,000 peso burgers there. $21 USD burgers. That is just crazy.

There are many places now in Palermo that have $20 USD burgers now. Totally crazy to me but I have seen the same thing at many places.

 

[Finance Prof]

Many things are like this in Argentina where fundamentals make no sense.

Very true. I can't see this situation continuing without eventually crashing. Granted it can go on for a while but eventually it will crash. In no scenario can burgers cost the same or more than the USA while salaries are a fraction of what they are back home. The Pais tax was eliminated and imported items still are expensive.

Even with all the changes that Milei has made things still seem broken. Sure some people are saying he can't fix things overnight but if the basic rules of supply and demand on pricing don't work than not sure they can be fixed anytime soon.

 

[Wally]

I don't understand. How do the basic laws of supply and demand not work in Argentina?? It works most everywhere else in the world. How does this concept not work in Argentina?

Argentina is in its own universe. Very few things make sense here. Still some things are working. Look at Toyota. Some taxes were eliminated and Toyota reduced the prices of their cars up to 17%. I remember reading about that either on here or X. They lowered prices within days of the taxes being eliminated so things are working. Albeit slowly sometimes.

 

[daveholman]

Very true. I can't see this situation continuing without eventually crashing. Granted it can go on for a while but eventually it will crash. In no scenario can burgers cost the same or more than the USA while salaries are a fraction of what they are back home. The Pais tax was eliminated and imported items still are expensive.

Even with all the changes that Milei has made things still seem broken. Sure some people are saying he can't fix things overnight but if the basic rules of supply and demand on pricing don't work than not sure they can be fixed anytime soon.

Government can affect supply, but they don't set prices. I think the problem is business owners have no reason to think any change is going to last. Inflation will have to stay low for a long time before people rely on it.

 

[Piranha]

Government can affect supply, but they don't set prices. I think the problem is business owners have no reason to think any change is going to last. Inflation will have to stay low for a long time before people rely on it.

Bingo. This is exactly the problem. People are so engrained in their head that inflation is going to come back. Even those who support Milei don't fully think that he will solve things long term because it is difficult to trust the inflated value of the peso. Everyone knows it is not the true value and once the currency gets devalued inflation will come back so people keep prices high.

It makes no sense the prices on things. Labor is cheap. So they went up since last year but there is no reason why a burger anywhere in BA should be $20 bucks. Go to places like Pony Line at the 4 Seasons and they have a 40,000 peso burger. That is $34 bucks. Even in the USA you won't see prices like that. Something is out of whack.

People are charging as much as they can and probably will not adjust. I have seen companies that would rather go out of business vs lower prices and stay competitive. I constantly shake my head at this here.

 

[Betsy Ross]

Bingo. This is exactly the problem. People are so engrained in their head that inflation is going to come back. Even those who support Milei don't fully think that he will solve things long term because it is difficult to trust the inflated value of the peso. Everyone knows it is not the true value and once the currency gets devalued inflation will come back so people keep prices high.

It makes no sense the prices on things. Labor is cheap. So they went up since last year but there is no reason why a burger anywhere in BA should be $20 bucks. Go to places like Pony Line at the 4 Seasons and they have a 40,000 peso burger. That is $34 bucks. Even in the USA you won't see prices like that. Something is out of whack.

People are charging as much as they can and probably will not adjust. I have seen companies that would rather go out of business vs lower prices and stay competitive. I constantly shake my head at this here.

Ponyline is an expensive place. You can't expect to pay anything cheap there. It's always been expensive and they have had US style pricing forever there.

It is true that you can spend a lot on a burger but there are also better deals. The Food Truck Store has a good double burger and the combo with fries and a beer is about 20,000 pesos.

The Food Truck Store | Hamburguesas

The Food Truck store ofrece las mejores hamburguesas de Argentina. Contamos locales en Palermo, Recoleta y Belgrano.

www.thefoodtruckstore.com.ar

 

[StatusNomadicus]

This will depend on how consumers respond to the increases and the ability of butcher shops to absorb costs without losing customers.

i'll hook all you guys up: i've been wanting to try en "elimination diet" and up my fasting game, as well as try being vegetarianism for a month while my lady is out of town (easy to just cook and eat eggs for me). there's my contribution to bringing prices down...but my dog eats 2 pounds of meat/organs/raw bone every day, so maybe it won't make a difference 😛

 

[BA Bound]

i'll hook all you guys up: i've been wanting to try en "elimination diet" and up my fasting game, as well as try being vegetarianism for a month while my lady is out of town (easy to just cook and eat eggs for me). there's my contribution to bringing prices down...but my dog eats 2 pounds of meat/organs/raw bone every day, so maybe it won't make a difference 😛

Wow being a vegetarian in Argentina is drastic. What made you want to switch? Just for health reasons? My friend switched to eliminating beef and it has made a big difference in his health.

 

[earlyretirement]

The food inflation in February 2025 in Argentina was the highest in the past seven months, primarily driven by the increase in meat prices.


According to estimates from private consultants, the inflation in food and beverages for February was expected to be between 2.5% and 3.5%.

The key factor behind this increase was the rise in beef prices, which saw increases ranging from 7% to 15% during the month. This increase has a significant impact on the overall price index, as beef accounts for about 7% of the total basket in Greater Buenos Aires and more than 13% in some regions of the interior.

Other factors contributing to the rise in food inflation included:

Increases in dairy products and beverages

Increases in fruits (2.4%) and oils, fats, and butter (2.3%)

Consulting firm LCG reported that the third week of February saw a 1.8% advance in food and beverages, following a 0.1% decrease in the second week and a 2.3% increase in the first week. Meanwhile, Analytica projected a 2.5% increase in food for the last four weeks of February.

This surge in food inflation contrasts with the downward trend observed in previous months, where January 2025 had recorded a general inflation rate of 2.2%, the lowest since July 2020.

Despite this increase in February, the government expects the effect of the meat price hike to be temporary and for the declining inflation trend to resume in the coming months.

 

[Betsy Ross]

The food inflation in February 2025 in Argentina was the highest in the past seven months, primarily driven by the increase in meat prices.


According to estimates from private consultants, the inflation in food and beverages for February was expected to be between 2.5% and 3.5%.

The key factor behind this increase was the rise in beef prices, which saw increases ranging from 7% to 15% during the month. This increase has a significant impact on the overall price index, as beef accounts for about 7% of the total basket in Greater Buenos Aires and more than 13% in some regions of the interior.

Other factors contributing to the rise in food inflation included:

Increases in dairy products and beverages

Increases in fruits (2.4%) and oils, fats, and butter (2.3%)

Consulting firm LCG reported that the third week of February saw a 1.8% advance in food and beverages, following a 0.1% decrease in the second week and a 2.3% increase in the first week. Meanwhile, Analytica projected a 2.5% increase in food for the last four weeks of February.

This surge in food inflation contrasts with the downward trend observed in previous months, where January 2025 had recorded a general inflation rate of 2.2%, the lowest since July 2020.

Despite this increase in February, the government expects the effect of the meat price hike to be temporary and for the declining inflation trend to resume in the coming months.

The increase in beef prices seems crazy to me. I'm not sure how they can raise beef prices when sales are already slugging. I stopped trying to figure out pricing. Seems like many things are still going up in price in BA.

Friends keep complaining about private school tuition and looks like it keeps going up.

 

[Larry]

The increase in beef prices seems crazy to me. I'm not sure how they can raise beef prices when sales are already slugging. I stopped trying to figure out pricing. Seems like many things are still going up in price in BA.

Friends keep complaining about private school tuition and looks like it keeps going up.

It IS crazy the prices of steak here. Look at countries like Australia that have excellent beef and salaries are 5 times higher than Argentina. Very basic bife de chorizo alone with no sides is around 40,000 pesos in most parillas now. Double in touristy places.

 

[earlyretirement]

The increase in beef prices seems crazy to me. I'm not sure how they can raise beef prices when sales are already slugging. I stopped trying to figure out pricing. Seems like many things are still going up in price in BA.

Friends keep complaining about private school tuition and looks like it keeps going up.

Actually beef sales are going up compared to last year. While local consumption keeps going down. It means that the producers are selling the beef to the export market to places outside of Argentina. So that increase is other countries (probably like China) buying the beef so more and more of the beef will be consumed abroad vs. at home. People have switched over to chicken but now that is jumping up also.

🇦🇷🥩↕️Beef sales in Argentina grew by 13.1% year-over-year in the first two months of 2025, although consumption in Argentina continues to decline according to CICRA.

Per capita consumption remains at minimum levels in decades. Even so, Argentina is the 2nd country with the highest consumption globally. It is only surpassed by the USA.

The sale of beef in Argentina experienced a growth of 13.1% in the first two months of 2025 compared to the same period of the previous year, reaching 392,700 tons of carcass weight. However, this increase comes in contrast to a historically low consumption in 2024, which contextualizes the observed improvement.

🗓️Despite this increase, the per capita consumption of beef in Argentina continues at minimum levels of recent decades:

1. In February 2025, the 12-month moving average stood at 48.8 kilos per inhabitant per year, a 5.4% drop compared to the same month of the previous year.

2. The period February 2024-January 2025 recorded a consumption of 47.8 kilos per year per inhabitant, the lowest in the last three decades.

⬇️This downward trend reflects not only economic factors but also changes in consumption habits, with a growing preference for other meats such as poultry and pork. In fact, in 2024, for the first time in history, poultry meat consumption surpassed beef consumption in Argentina.


🥩 In 2024, Argentina reached a total meat consumption (beef, poultry, and pork) of 115 kilos per person per year.

🥈 This consumption level places Argentina as the second country with the highest average meat consumption per inhabitant worldwide.

🥇 Only the United States surpasses Argentina, with a consumption of 120 kilos per year per inhabitant.

 

[VINO]

Government can affect supply, but they don't set prices. I think the problem is business owners have no reason to think any change is going to last. Inflation will have to stay low for a long time before people rely on it.

This is true @daveholman! Look at the prices of prices jumping up this month. Business owners are all raising their prices. Look at some of these price jumps this past week. Even with tourism down and restaurants slower they are not reducing prices to get more people in the doors.

I read on another thread of someone going to Mirasol restaurant which is next to the Four Seasons. Very nice place that is usually full on the weekend. People are reporting it at 25% capacity. And the prices are about 90,000 pesos or around $75 dollars for an appetizer, entree and a drink.

There are many places in the US you can get a comparable meal for the same thing with better beef. I just read a post that said someone owns a restaurant in the US and he imports grass fed Argentine beef in his restaurant and the best beef is getting exported and the cheap stufff is left over for Argentine market. He said his grass fed Argentine steaks are cheaper in his restaurant in the US vs. Argentina. That is an eye opener.