In January and February 2023, the pace of slaughtering in Argentina knows a surge. With a total of 2.24 million cattle processed, the sector marks +9.7% on an annual basis. Scrolling through the data of CICCRA, the Buenos Aires animal husbandry association, we learn that the greatest acceleration was in February: taking into account working days, with the million head delivered, productivity grew by 5.3% compared to January. Report by La Conceria.

The results in January and February

Argentine animal husbandry is already benefiting from a 2022 of great productivity. Even excessive, to read the local press. Because the slaughtering rhythms rather than the market demand have looked at the needs of the farmers, distressed by an unhappy climate that makes the management of the bovine herd onerous. The trend does not seem to have changed.

The percentage of females out of the total slaughterings is 45.5% (almost 477,000 head, +2.6% on an annual basis). It means, reported by CICCRA, that for the third consecutive month the slaughtering of females is slightly higher than the upper limit of the range compatible with the sustainability of bovine herds.

Tensions also arise from the rapid pace of animal husbandry leather supply chain. Slaughterhouse warehouses are full of raw hides and skins that have no outlet on the domestic market. The meat industry is therefore asking for the removal of the export duty, which the tanneries and manufacturing companies instead want to hold on to.