The buffalo is gaining ground in Argentine livestock farming and consolidating its expansion in the NEA.

Water buffalo production in Argentina is going through a stage of sustained expansion, driven by its adaptation to adverse environments, its productive efficiency, and renewed commercial interest. With a herd that more than doubled in the last decade, the water buffalo is establishing itself as a particularly competitive livestock alternative in the Argentine Northeast (NEA), a region where the majority of the national stock is concentrated and where climatic and environmental conditions limit other species. Introduced in the country at the beginning of the 20th century, the water buffalo originally arrived from Brazil and settled in its early stages in Entre Ríos and Corrientes. Initially, the species was intended as a complement to cattle, with the aim of increasing rusticity through crossbreeding. However, this strategy did not prosper, and for decades the water buffalo was relegated to a marginal role. The scenario began to change in the 1970s, when producers and technicians ...