Over the last half-century, the sheep stock of Chubut, the largest wool-producing province, has been reduced to less than half.

A very good work, called “Historical Analysis, Structural Crisis and Current Situation of Sheep Stocks in Chubut (1875-2025)”, shows that the number of sheep in that province fell to less than half in the last 40 years, turning what was once a central economic activity into a “niche activity”. The study by Pedro Eugenio Sánchez explains that “sheep production in Chubut experienced a complete cycle of expansion, consolidation, and sharp decline, directly influenced by economic and environmental factors”. Thus, it went from the first 47,000 heads in the first record dating back to 1895 (130 years ago) to a peak of 6,421,000 sheep in 1978 (almost five decades ago) and now stands at less than half that figure, with 2,979,864 heads registered in 2025. “The historical series of sheep stocks in Chubut reflects a profound productive transformation. The sector went from being a volume powerhouse (6.4 million heads) to a niche and high-quality activity (2.9 million). The 53.59% drop is the ...