Overview
- Consultant Víctor Tonelli told the 4th Federal Cattle Congress that global demand is outpacing supply, with FAO-linked beef prices rising for 20 straight months and October marking the highest real value in 35 years, with firmness projected into 2026–27.
- Import growth has shifted toward Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, now 64% of global buyers, while China’s per-capita intake climbed and imports multiplied, the U.S. hit a 74‑year cattle low and doubled imports, and Brazil began herd rebuilding that tightens near‑term supply.
- Speakers described an extraordinary opening for Argentina in underpenetrated destinations such as Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia.
- The government’s move to avoid export restrictions was highlighted as a pivotal enabler for investment and market access.
- Domestic limits persist as low national herds and scarce financing slow expansion, with herd rebuilding expected to take at least two years and buyers increasingly requiring traceability and deforestation‑free assurance.