Overview
- Retail beef cuts rose 7.4% in February, about 63.6% year over year, far outpacing general inflation of 2.9%.
- February slaughter totaled 924,300 head, down 10.7% from a year earlier, and January–February production fell 9.1% to 457,000 tonnes.
- Exports reached 124,000 tonnes in the first two months of 2026, up 6.6% year over year, with an average export price near $7,362 per tonne and January export revenues up 47.6%.
- The price of live cattle climbed 8.5% in February and 72.7% year over year, touching its highest relative level in roughly 15 years.
- Per-capita beef intake averaged 47.3 kg over the past 12 months, as butchers report collapsing sales and households shift toward cheaper proteins like chicken, which rose 10.2% in February but 45% year over year.