Argentina’s beef export earnings reach record high in first four months of 2026
Higher international beef prices and heavier carcass weights helped lift export returns.
ARGENTINA – Argentina’s beef exports generated US$1.65 billion between January and April 2026, marking a 36% increase from the same period last year and setting the highest export value ever recorded for the first four months of a year since comparable records began in 2002.
The increase in export earnings came even as cattle slaughter and meat production declined, according to data compiled by the Rosario Stock Exchange using figures from the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (SAGyP) and the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INDEC), highlighting a period in which lower domestic supply coincided with stronger returns from overseas markets.
A total of 3,935,598 cattle were slaughtered during the first four months of 2026, making it the lowest January to April figure recorded in the past decade after slaughter numbers had already fallen to 13.6 million head in 2025, down 2.5% from 2024 and marking a second consecutive annual decline following the drought-driven peak of 14.5 million head in 2023.
February recorded 925,235 head slaughtered, the smallest monthly total since April 2017, while April reached 960,871 head, representing the lowest slaughter level for that month in nine years.
Lower supply, heavier cattle
Industry data indicate that improved pasture conditions and stronger live cattle prices encouraged producers to keep animals on farms longer before sending them for processing, extending feeding periods and increasing average carcass weights.
As a result, beef production during the first four months of the year fell to 926,583 tonnes in carcass weight equivalent, the lowest level for the period in nine years, while the average carcass weight rose to 235.4 kilograms per animal, the highest January to April average recorded since 1990 and around nine kilograms above the 10-year average for the same period.
Export prices support revenue growth
The rise in export income was driven mainly by stronger prices rather than a sharp increase in shipment volumes, with the average export price reaching US$5,490 per tonne carcass weight equivalent in April, the highest monthly level recorded since May 2014.
Beef exports totalled 257,345 tonnes carcass weight equivalent between January and April, representing a 10% increase compared with the same period in 2025, although volumes remained 2% below the average recorded over the previous five years.
China remained Argentina’s largest export destination, accounting for 39.1% of export earnings, followed by the United States with 19.0%, Israel with 12.9%, Germany with 7.8%, and the Netherlands with 5.6%, while the remaining 15.6% was distributed across 35 other international markets.
Industry observers said slaughter trends over the coming months will be closely watched as exporters seek to maintain shipment levels while domestic beef availability remains at its lowest point in years.
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