Argentina’s beef exporters received on March 16th an alert from the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Julián Domínguez. He informed that if they do not supply the local market, according to the government’s plan, selling products abroad will be forbidden.
On Twitter, the minister wrote: “I informed that anyone who does not fulfill the commitments made with the Argentine people will not be able to continue exporting beef”. He continued his tweet saying that the decision was made in the context of the war, which has triggered global increases in food prices and the crisis the country is facing due to drought, fires in Corrientes and the lack of 1.5 million head.
A few months ago, an agreement was signed between the beef industry and the government to deliver 6,000 tons of beef per month from exporters to the domestic market at reduced prices. However, government officials said the agreement was not fulfilled in February and only 2,500 tons were destined for the domestic market.
Since May 2021, Argentines have been subject to restrictions on beef exports. Last year, the prices of this protein soared, and the authorities took these decisions to limit the impact on consumption.