The Argentine government, led by President Alberto Fernández, has temporarily closed Rafael Alimentos' meat processing plant in Casilda, Santa Fe province, as part of a 30-day export ban on beef. The move aims to control foreign demand and prevent domestic price increases due to inflation. The company, which employs 650 people, exports to several countries including China, Brazil, and the European Union. The decision has been criticized by local authorities and agricultural organizations for limiting production rather than encouraging it, and for ignoring the real causes of inflation in the country.