Overview
- Reports published Sunday show neighborhood butcheries and online sellers are now offering chicken mince at substantially lower prices than beef mince, with some Buenos Aires outlets selling chicken mince from ARS 5,180 per kilo and 15‑kg bags under ARS 20,000.
- CICCRA's July data, cited in the coverage, put per‑capita beef consumption at 46.3 kg annually, a 9.4% drop year‑on‑year, while domestic beef supply for the internal market has fallen about 12% so far in 2026.
- Price moves widened the gap between proteins over the last 12 months: beef prices rose roughly 52% versus 34% general inflation and 22.9% for whole chicken, making beef far less affordable for many households.
- Retailers and butcheries have retooled offerings to match demand by selling cheaper poultry pieces, packaged soup bones and offal as paid items and by promoting chicken mince as a substitute for the traditional beef picada.
- The shift deepens a longer trend documented by CEPA and industry sources: chicken consumption reached a record 49.4 kg per person in 2025 and continued growth in low‑cost poultry segments suggests lower‑income households will keep adapting meals to cheaper proteins.