Analysis Pigs & Pork
Argentinians swap their steak for pork chops
Due to the weak Argentine economy, the consumption of pork in the country is increasing, as shown by data from the Rosario Trade Council (Bdcdr). The growth in consumption is a direct result of a decrease in beef consumption.
It was already known that the weak Argentine economy was affecting beef consumption, but there was no data available until now. Based on the first 11 months of 2024, the Rosario Trade Council has now made a forecast for beef consumption in 2024. It is projected to be 47.5 kilograms per capita. This is a decrease of 10.8% compared to the previous year. Compared to 2014, beef consumption decreased by a significant 17.7%.
Pork Sector Benefits
While poultry consumption has slightly increased in the last 10 years, it is mainly the pork sector that is benefiting from the lower beef consumption. Over the past decade, poultry consumption increased by 11.6% to 45.1 kilograms. Pork consumption, on the other hand, rose by a whopping 58% to 16.9 kilograms during the same period. In absolute numbers, pork consumption increased more significantly. In total, Argentinians consumed 6.2 kilograms more pork than ten years ago. Poultry consumption grew by 4.7 kilograms in the same period.
Remarkably, the primary growth in poultry consumption occurred between 2014 and 2020. In that year, Argentinians consumed a record volume of poultry meat at 46.1 kilograms per person. This represented an increase of 14.1% compared to 2014. Since that period, growth has stagnated, while the demand for pork has continued to rise over the last four years.
Meat Consumption Declining Since 2015
Meanwhile, total meat consumption has slightly increased over the past ten years to 109.5 kilograms. In the South American country, 0.6% more meat was consumed compared to a decade ago. However, this does not mean that meat consumption has decreased due to the economic downturn. Compared to 2015, consumption decreased by 5.4%.
Although the demand for meat is quite inconsistent. Total consumption reached a record high in 2023. In that year, 116.2 kilograms of meat were consumed per capita. The increase was attributed to a temporary surge in demand for beef. Due to a Chinese import ban, beef prices in the country dropped significantly, leading to increased consumption.
