Argentina may shift meat preference

As Argentina is on the brink to switch status from beef exporter to beef importer, consumers there are shifting their meat preference to pork and poultry.

Argentina's beef production is expected to drop to an eight-year low of 2.8 million tonnes next year, which will be insufficient to meet a domestic consumption of 3.2 million tonnes, forcing the country to import beef in 2010.

Pork looks likely to be the favoured alternative meat, even though most is imported.

There is potentially significant room for pork consumption, while Argentina's poultry consumption is already in line with that in other countries, said the report.

Still, poultry consumption is expected to continue rising marginally, the report said.

Argentines eat about 65kg of beef each year, with annual poultry consumption pegged by official data at 30kg per person and pork at seven kg, mainly in the form of cold cuts.

Argentina's cattle numbers are expected to drop below 50 million head next year, down more than 10 percent in two years, because of herd liquidation resulting from the country's worst drought in 50 years.

Calf production this year is estimated to have dropped 20 percent to 12 million head.