Scarce supply and sustained demand: the combination that reheats the price of meat towards the end of the year

The price of beef has escalated again and is already impacting supermarket shelves and butcher shops. In the last two weeks, retail prices have increased between 8% and 12%, and for some popular cuts, the rise exceeds 15% compared to October. However, sales are not falling: consumers continue to buy, accept the new prices, and consolidate a trend that repeats every year-end, when demand accelerates and the supply of cattle decreases. At the Agroganadero Market in Cañuelas, the prices for live cattle show a firmness that few remember. Steers were paid up to $4,200 per live kilo, and females weighing 480 kilos reached $3,850, in a context of reduced availability of animals and growing competition among slaughterhouses, butchers, and exporters. Regarding this, the vice president of the Argentine Chamber of Butchers (CAMyA), Sergio Pedace, explained to Ámbito: "This is supply and demand, but really the demand is significant, especially at the international level. Exporters want to ...