Overview
- Industry group CoMeCarne reports beef prices rose 16.5% year over year in January, outpacing pork at 3.6% and poultry, which fell 1.4%.
- The government replaced PACIC’s tariff exemptions with import quotas of 70,000 tonnes of beef and 51,000 of pork allocated by public tender, capping firms at 10% each and requiring 20% bid guarantees.
- Results of the tender are slated for March 17 with orders from March 18, and companies estimate roughly one month for product to arrive, creating a supply gap this spring.
- ComeCarne and market analysts warn the authorized volumes are too small versus demand, pointing to border closures tied to the gusano barrenador and lower U.S. cattle inventories that have lifted international beef prices about 16%.
- Security risks are adding costs across the meat chain, with reported increases in road thefts, higher insurance premiums projected from March 1, and extortion linked by industry to 10–20% higher production and logistics expenses.