Chicken consumption overtakes beef in Argentina for the first time
Argentina’s annual chicken consumption reached 47 kilograms per person, narrowly exceeding beef at 46.7 kilograms for the first time. A wide price gap is pushing households toward poultry and pork, while beef exports continue to rise.
Chicken moves ahead of beef
Chicken consumption has surpassed beef consumption in Argentina for the first time, marking a historic change in a country closely associated with cattle and beef. According to the Institute for Studies on Argentine and Latin American Reality (IERAL) of Fundación Mediterránea, poultry consumption accumulated over the latest twelve-month period reached 47 kilograms per person, compared with 46.7 kilograms of beef.
The difference is only 0.3 kilograms per person, but it reflects a broader adjustment in household food purchases. Beef consumption has declined, while demand for less expensive animal proteins has increased. Pork consumption also reached a record 20.1 kilograms per person, although it remains well below the levels recorded for chicken and beef.
Relative prices drive substitution
IERAL identifies the higher price of beef as a central reason for the change. During the twelve-month period, the average price of one kilogram of beef was equivalent to 3.6 kilograms of whole chicken or 1.9 kilograms of pork breast, a popular cut in Argentina. That gap allowed consumers to buy roughly three and a half kilograms of chicken, or almost two kilograms of pork, for the cost of one kilogram of beef.
The figures suggest that purchasing power, rather than a sudden rejection of beef, is reshaping the meat basket. Chicken processors and pork producers are benefiting from substitution at retail, while cattle producers and domestic beef suppliers face more price-sensitive demand. The shift may continue: projections from the Center of Poultry Processing Companies (CEPA) indicate that poultry consumption could exceed 50 kilograms per person in 2026.
Egg demand rises as beef exports expand
The move toward lower-cost protein is also visible in the egg market. Data from the Argentine Chamber of Poultry Producers and Processors (CAPIA) show consumption rising from 398 eggs per person in 2025 to 430 in 2026. CAPIA executive president Javier Prida described eggs as a healthy, economical and easily accessible source of protein.
At the same time, Argentina’s beef sector is receiving support from foreign markets. La Vanguardia reports that beef exports in the twelve months through August were worth $4.729 billion, up 35.4% from a year earlier. Export volume increased by 4.2%, meaning higher international prices accounted for most of the gain in value. IERAL views the export performance as positive for the industry, but it also adds pressure to domestic supply while beef production is lower. For meat companies and investors, the market is splitting in two directions: export conditions favor beef suppliers, while affordability gives poultry, pork and eggs an expanding role in Argentine household consumption.
