Improved nutrition drives growth in Argentina’s animal protein sector
Industry experts from across Argentina’s livestock and poultry sectors say animal nutrition will play a critical role in strengthening competitiveness. Large-scale producers of poultry, pork and beef cattle met at Expoagro, the country’s largest agricultural trade fair, to discuss opportunities for growth and the role of improved nutrition in that growth
Melanie EppFreelance agricultural journalist from Ontario, Canada
Aug 17
Article
Increased global demand for animal protein creates an opportunity for Argentine livestock producers. The limiting factor to meeting that demand is not access to high-quality feed, which Argentina has in abundance, said Gabriel Gualdoni, former president of the Argentine Chamber of Animal Nutrition Companies (CAENA). The limiting factor is the producer mindset
“2026 could be the year of animal protein if we know how to seize it.” – Gabriel Gualdoni, former president of CAENA
Gualdoni said Argentine farmers need to shift their focus from practices that prize cost reduction over production efficiency, and instead prioritise animal nutrition, quality, traceability and technological innovation. “2026 could be the year of animal protein if we know how to seize it,” he said
Improving production efficiency
It’s not that Argentina’s beef, poultry and pork sectors need a complete overhaul. While the beef sector remains more fragmented, the country’s poultry and pork sectors are largely dominated by large-scale, vertically integrated companies. Improved nutrition is a clear gap across all systems
Alejandro Bravo, CAENA’s current president, said he’s confident Argentina will meet the growing global demand for animal protein. In particular, he sees opportunity in the beef sector where cattle finishing weights are well below global averages. “We have an opportunity to increase the size of the animals going to the slaughterhouse,” he said. “In the USA and Canada, cattle are going to the slaughterhouse at 600 or 700 kg per animal. We are going at just 400.”
Fernando Eluchans, general manager of livestock feed company Vetifarma, agreed. Growth, he said, won’t necessarily come from increasing herd size, but from improving production efficiency, particularly through higher slaughter weights. “There is room to increase output per animal by between 20-30%, moving slaughter weights of around 350 kg to values close to 500 kg,” he said
Small but efficient
Daniel Fenoglio, president of the Argentine Pork Federation and general manager of Cabaña Argentina, a processor of fresh, frozen and prepared pork products, described Argentina’s pork sector as small but efficient. Production is highly concentrated, he said, adding that about 300 producers account for roughly 90 per cent of total output
Fenoglio described Argentina’s pork operations as ‘highly productive’. Companies, he said, have adopted international genetics and modern production systems. Feed conversion is where they’ve made the most gains, though, he said. Significant growth has been driven by better feed formulations and improved knowledge through collaboration with international experts. Fenoglio said interest from foreign companies continues to grow, especially as production declines continue in more developed markets such as Europe. Argentina and Brazil are being evaluated as potential locations for expansion, he added. “We have soybean and maize, we have weather, space and water,” he said.
Argentina’s economic challenges outweigh its blessings in terms of fair weather and access to feed, water and land. Historically, limited access to credit and economic instability have slowed expansion. However, industry stakeholders seem cautiously optimistic about their collective financial future, many crediting libertarian President Javier Milei for helping curb the country’s rampant inflation. “Our credit economy… it’s complicated,” Fenoglio said. “It’s impossible to explain.”
Poultry: Greatest growth potential
Argentina’s poultry sector is constrained more by trade barriers than by economic factors. After the country confirmed an avian influenza outbreak on a commercial farm in Buenos Aires province in August 2025, authorities suspended poultry exports until it regained the World Organisation for Animal Health’s ‘disease-free’ status. To mitigate trade losses going forward, Argentina is working to establish health agreements with its trade partners to formally recognise disease-free regionalisation.
Among meat protein sources, poultry has perhaps the greatest growth potential in Argentina. As one of the largest meat-consuming countries in the world, average annual consumption reaches 120 kg per person, divided into 50 kg each of beef and chicken and 20 kg of pork. Chicken is set to outpace beef in the coming year, according to the most recent annual poultry report from the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Historically, domestic consumption has accounted for approximately 90% of chicken production. Demand has been driven mostly by population growth; however, more recent gains have been influenced by price and the perception that chicken is a healthier alternative to beef.
Raúl Marsó, president of Las Camelias SA, the third-largest poultry producer in Argentina, sees real opportunities for growth. Describing the country’s poultry sector as highly integrated, he said companies typically control the full supply chain, including hatcheries, feed mills, grow-out operations, slaughter and distribution. Las Camelias is one such example. The company slaughters 300,000 chickens a day, employs around 1,800 people and maintains a domestic retail presence while exporting a portion of its production.
“We call the feed company ‘the kitchen of the business’,” – Raúl Marsó, president of Las Camelias SA
Smarter feed, wider markets
Feed production is central to the business. To ensure consistent nutritional quality, the company processes soy and other inputs in-house. Moving beyond a cost-reduction model, Marsó said Las Camelias has adopted more advanced strategies that focus on performance, animal health and environmental considerations. These efforts centre on improved nutrition. “We call the feed company ‘the kitchen of the business’,” he said. Beyond feed conversion, Marsó said probiotics and prebiotics play an important role in reducing antibiotic use and improving gut health.
While production has improved, Marsó admitted that much of the existing infrastructure needs to be upgraded to a higher-tech system. Furthermore, ay, especially as Argentina seeks to protect market access and support growth through international trade
Argentina’s high per capita meat consumption leaves little room for growth in the domestic market. As nutritional improvements lead to higher production rates, companies will be looking to export markets to absorb that growth. Bravo, CAENA’s president, said that while trade and regulatory barriers continue to complicate access to the European market, he sees opportunity for expansion in the United States, Central America and Southeast Asia
