During the first two months, 75.5% of exports were destined for China, 7.9% went to the European Union and 7.1% to Israel.

Argentina's beef exports in February totaled 82,548 tons, the highest figure in the last 57 years, the Government of the South American country, a renowned world exporter of food, reported today Tuesday.

In the first two months, shipments of the product totaled 160,478 tons, also a record figure, said the Government of Libertarian President Javier Milei, who in December eliminated restrictions that governed the export of some cuts of beef.

"This is not a minor fact because in other times we lived with the stocks (limit) on meat exports and, after such a delirium, achieving this record (...) is surely very good news," he said presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni, at a press conference.

Milei is an economist with an ultra-liberal background who assumed the Argentine presidency at the beginning of December with the promise of deregulating the economy of the agricultural power. There is still a 9% tax on beef exports.

According to a graph released today, Tuesday, by the Government, 75.5% of Argentine meat exports in the first two months were destined for China. Then 7.9% went to the European Union and 7.1% to Israel.

On the other hand, the average consumption of kilograms of beef per capita in Argentina fell to slightly above 40 kilograms annually in February, the lowest figure since mid-2021, according to official data.

Argentina is one of the countries where the most beef is consumed in the world. However, a prolonged economic crisis with annual inflation exceeding 270% has had a severe impact on the population's consumption levels.