Argentina’s pork output rises 12.4% as exports jump 74%
Argentina produced 592,046 tonnes of pork in January-August 2026, up 12.4% year on year, while exports increased 74% to 11,075 tonnes. Domestic consumption reached 20.36 kilograms per capita annually, but rising imports and cheaper Brazilian pork continue to pressure local competitiveness.
Production expands through August
Argentina’s pork industry recorded strong growth in the first eight months of 2026, supported by higher production, rising domestic consumption and a sharp increase in exports. The country produced 592,046 tonnes of pork from January through August, 12.4% more than in the same period of 2025, according to data from the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries analyzed by pork-market operator Pormag and reported by Bichos de Campo.
Production in August reached 76,575 tonnes, down 4% from July. The eight-month total nevertheless rose from approximately 527,000 tonnes a year earlier. The Secretariat said investment in production, expansion of installed farm capacity, an increase in the number of breeding sows and stronger animal-health programs contributed to the growth.
Consumption reaches a record as beef loses ground
Domestic demand also expanded. Moving-average pork consumption reached 20.36 kilograms per person annually in August, 10.7% higher than a year earlier and 1.1% above July. This was one of the highest readings in the series and compared with 18.38 kilograms per person a year earlier.
Pork’s advance contrasted with declining beef consumption. The moving average for beef fell 9.1% year on year, from 50.86 to 46.21 kilograms per person annually. The figures indicate that pork is gaining space in Argentina’s domestic meat market as consumers reduce their consumption of beef.
Exports surge from a small base
Argentina exported 11,075 tonnes of pork between January and August, an increase of 74% from 6,360 tonnes in the same period of 2025. August shipments rose 63.5% year on year and 29.8% from July. Despite that growth, exports represented only 1.9% of the pork produced during the eight-month period, showing that the industry remains overwhelmingly focused on its domestic market.
Export revenue totaled $15.197 million, equivalent to an average of $1,372 per tonne. The acceleration in shipments suggests scope for Argentina to develop a larger external market, but the current volume remains limited compared with total output. Producers and processors will need sustained access to competitive destinations if the recent increase is to become a trade flow of greater scale.
Imports expose a competitiveness gap
Imports also increased, reaching 43,672 tonnes in January-August, up 13.8% year on year. August imports totaled 5,444 tonnes, 21.8% below July but 63.7% above August 2025. Pormag estimated that imported products accounted for 10.5% of apparent pork consumption through August when volumes were converted to carcass-weight equivalent.
The imported meat was considerably more expensive per tonne than Argentina’s exported product. Imports were valued at $131.847 million, or an average of $3,019 per tonne, compared with the export average of $1,372. Brazil’s lower producer prices help explain the inflows: in August, pork was priced at $1.55 per kilogram in Argentina and $0.92 in Brazil. Pormag said the gap had widened since March, strengthening Brazil’s ability to supply the Argentine market and creating a competitiveness challenge for local producers.
Argentina’s pork chain is therefore expanding on several fronts, but unevenly. Output and consumption are setting high benchmarks, and exports are growing rapidly from a low base. At the same time, imports remain almost four times larger than exports by volume, leaving processors and farmers exposed to competition from lower-priced Brazilian supply.
