Salted, brined, dried or smoked pork market in Argentina

Earlier Report Observations

The Argentine market for salted, brined, dried, or smoked pork began the period at 9,511 tons in 2018. That year saw increased pork consumption driven by rising beef prices, and new players like Jorge Castillo entered with a 2,000-sow farm in Santiago del Estero. Market volume dipped slightly to 9,210 tons in 2019 before recovering to 9,536 tons in 2020. The recovery coincided with regulatory scrutiny of the beef supply chain and measures limiting beef stock, which likely redirected some consumer demand toward pork.

From 2021, the market entered a phase of strong expansion, reaching 10,306 tons. This growth was supported by sustained increases in pork production and slaughter. In 2022, volume climbed further to 10,973 tons, aided by Decree 911 which banned the export of seven popular beef cuts to ensure domestic supply, making pork a more competitive protein. That year also saw a record swine slaughter of 7.7 million head. The upward trend continued in 2023, with the market reaching 11,314 tons as slaughter hit a new high of 8.1 million head and per capita pork consumption rose significantly.

Throughout the period, the market structure evolved with leading processors like Alimentaria La Pompeya and Paladini consolidating their positions. In 2023, the formal creation of the Argenpork consortium aimed to boost pork exports, reflecting the industry's growing scale despite competitive pressure from imported cuts, primarily from Brazil.

Production salted, brined, dried or smoked pork in Argentina

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Top producers of salted, brined, dried or smoked pork, 2017-2020

World map of production of salted, brined, dried or smoked pork, 2017-2020

Argentina's production of salted, brined, dried, or smoked pork has increased for the third consecutive year. In 2020, the country produced 9 348 tonnes of these pork products, marking a 3.3% rise compared to the previous year. Over the period from 2017 to 2020, production grew by 16.9%, with an average annual growth rate of 5.3%.

Annual dynamics of production in Argentina in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports salted, brined, dried or smoked pork from Argentina

Exports in kind, t

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Argentina in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Paraguay and Russia were the primary markets for Argentina's exports of salted, brined, dried, or smoked pork in kind, together accounting for 86.9% of total shipments. The remaining share was distributed among other trading partners.

Structure of product's exports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Argentina in kind, 2017-2020

Exports in value, K $ US

Annual dynamics of product's exports from Argentina in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

During the 2017–2020 period, Paraguay and Russia jointly absorbed 82.8% of the total export value of Argentina's salted, brined, dried, or smoked pork. The rest of the exports were spread across smaller markets.

Structure of product's exports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's exports from Argentina in value, 2017-2020

Imports salted, brined, dried or smoked pork to Argentina

Imports in kind, t

The market showed an unstable trend over the timeframe. Imports reached their lowest point in 2019 at 158.2 tonnes, after declining from a high in 2017, with a 4.9-fold difference between these years. In 2020, foreign supplies of salted, brined, dried, or smoked pork to Argentina totalled 188.0 tonnes, representing an 18.8% increase from the previous year. The largest decline occurred in 2019, at 72.2%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Argentina in kind, 2017-2020, t

From 2017 to 2020, Spain and Italy remained the main suppliers of salted, brined, dried, or smoked pork to Argentina in kind, together holding a 95.1% share of total imports. The remaining portion was fragmented across other countries.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Argentina in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, K $ US

After a two-year decrease, Argentina's imports of salted, brined, dried, or smoked pork in value terms increased. The minimum value was recorded in 2019 at 1 580 thousand US dollars. In 2020, imports totalled 2 154 thousand US dollars, which is 36.3% higher than the previous year. Between 2017 and 2020, imports decreased by 67.5%, equating to an annualized decline of 31.3%. The largest drop was in 2019, at 69.8%.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Argentina in value, 2017-2020, K $ US

Throughout 2017–2020, the partner structure for imports in value terms was dominated by Spain, which accounted for 71.5% of total flows. Other markets contributed to a less significant portion of the imports.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Argentina in value, 2017-2020