Argentina sets aspirations to become global meat heavyweight

Argentina’s minister of agriculture Luis Miguel Etchevehere has set aspirations to be among the largest global meat suppliers in the future.

Speaking at the Expo Nación Ganadera Norte and Grand National Exhibition of Brangus in Chaco, Etchevehere revealed his goal was to produce and sell more meat domestically and in the international markets.

The Argentine minister said the Government needed the public’s support to continue showing the potential of Argentine livestock and to work together with the state and the private sector in order to reach his target.

Etchevehere was among a host of names from Argentina’s agricultural sector, including Guillermo Bernaudo, secretary of Argentina’s Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, speaking with Argentine producers and provincial authorities at the exhibition.

Argentina has been building relationships with some of the biggest names in the international meat market in recent months, including Japan and the US.

Argentina and Japan agreed a trade deal to exchange a variety of meat products between the two countries by the end of July, including Patagonian bovine and ovine meat.

Bovine meat was one of the products flagged up in the Argentine Ministry of Agriculture’s Undersecretariat of Livestock survey, which reported a significant growth in exports to the international market during the first quarter of this year.

Meanwhile, US pork was also granted access to Argentina for the first time in 26 years in April and also opened doors for chilled beef to the South American country in 2017.

According to GlobalMeatNewsState of the Industry survey, the US, Brazil and Germany were the top three global exporters, while Japan, China and the US were also the top three countries buying the most meat from around the world.