Overview
- Feeder calves reached about US$3.90 per kilo, the highest in current-dollar terms on record, while finished steers are near US$5.40 per kilo, above Uruguay and well above Brazil.
- Official DTE/Senasa data show November cattle sent to slaughter fell roughly 7% year over year, leaving the September–November quarter down the same pace.
- Export processors report losses at current cattle costs, have brought forward holidays, and signal likely cuts to shipped volumes.
- In Salta, retail beef prices rose around 20% in recent weeks, with butchers reporting sales down about 20% as consumers switch to chicken, pork, and offal.
- Industry projections point to roughly 13.75 million head slaughtered this year with an extraction ratio near 26.8%, while heavy reliance on China (about 70% of exports) leaves volumes sensitive to potential policy moves expected on January 26.