Argentine Beef Situation Spotlighted at World Meat Congress
Sustainability is the main focus of conference.
Compiled by staff
Published: Sep 30, 2010
Meat industry experts from across the globe have gathered in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to discuss current trends and future challenges in meat production and consumption. The venue has cast a spotlight on Argentina's dwindling beef supplies, which are the result of severe drought and interventionist government policies that have hampered its beef industry's ability to export. U.S. Meat Export federation economist Erin Daley says this has emerged as one of the meeting's dominant topics.
"These circumstances are making grain farming much more attractive than ranching, contributing to a shift in the region's land use," Daley said. "While the Argentine government's intent in limiting exports was to keep domestic beef supplies plentiful and prices low, the result has been quite the opposite as producers have shifted resources, beef supplies have tightened and domestic beef consumption has declined sharply."
Still, the main focus of World Meat Congress 2010 is sustainability. Daley says it's interesting to hear the concerns about environmental issues and the limitations the industry faces with regard to availability of land and other resources. Going forward, she says there are many serious challenges with regard to maintaining and growing world meat production, and this conference allows us to hear a variety of interesting perspectives.
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Tagged: farming, Drought, sustainability, ranching
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