Overview
- Official consumption data measured through May 2026 show chicken at about 50 kg per person annually while beef fell to roughly 47.5 kg and pork stands near 25 kg, making poultry the top per-capita protein.
- Beef price inflation has outpaced other proteins, with IPCVA reporting a 57.9% year-on-year rise for bovine cuts in May 2026 compared with 38.9% for chicken and 23.6% for pork, which has widened the price gap for consumers.
- Producers and analysts say the shift is driven mainly by loss of household purchasing power rather than shortages, with consultancies and industry groups pointing to families trading down to more affordable cuts and products.
- The pork sector argues its growth is limited by weak downstream industrialization and poor presence in supermarket shelves, while the avian industry credits plant modernization and new retail cuts for its rapid expansion.
- Regional governments and producers are moving to formalize niche meats such as guanaco and buffalo, prompting proposals for sanitary protocols and law changes that could add new lower‑cost options to the market.