Tonelli: "It is inexorable that beef consumption continues to decline in the face of chicken and pork"

Livestock and meat specialist Víctor Tonelli described a scenario of strong readjustment in the Argentine cattle industry. As he explained, the slaughter has been above the equilibrium rate for three years, a phenomenon mainly associated with the extreme drought that hit the country between 2023 and 2025. This process resulted in an estimated loss of three million heads, bringing the stock from 53.5 million to around 50.5 million. "Slaughtering above equilibrium is not sustainable for long," he warned. After the elections and in a climate of greater predictability, the sector began to move towards the recovery of stocks, a cycle that, according to Tonelli, requires between two and four years. The first effects began to be seen in November, with a greater retention of animals. "The producer retains to add kilos or transform the cattle into productive wombs. It is a virtuous process, but its results will be seen only in the second half of 2027," he explained. While this ...