La carne porcina fresca ganó terreno en septiembre y marcó un récord de ventas

La carne de cerdo fresca registró en septiembre el mejor desempeño histórico de ventas para un mes distinto de diciembre, de acuerdo con el informe mensual de la Cámara Argentina de la Industria de Chacinados y Carne de Cerdo (Caicha). Los cortes frescos Avanzaron 13,4% respecto de septiembre de 2025, mientras que los chacinados retrocedieron 9,7% y completaron siete meses consecutivos en terreno negativo.

La diferencia entre ambos segmentos alcanzó 22,7 puntos porcentuales y constitutes the largest gap recorded since the measurement began. Despite the sustained decline in processed products, overall sales of the sector, including fresh cuts and processed meats, rose 2% compared with the same month of the previous year.

A nine-month accumulated growth masks the weakness of processed pork

During the first nine months of the year, sector sales increased by 1,3%. Fresh pork cuts expanded by 7,7%, while processed products contracted by 4,9%. The decline in processed meats also intensified throughout the year: it was 1,1% in the first quarter, 3,8% in the second and 9,9% between July and September.

According to Caicha, the relative price of pork has been one of the factors behind the increase in fresh pork sales. Since December 2023, the accumulated price increase of pork reached 182%, below the 227% recorded for beef and the 191% for chicken. As a result, pork became the most affordable of the three major animal proteins, with its relative price 13,8% below beef and 3,1% below chicken.

• Fresh pork sales rose 13,4% year on year in September, their best historical result for a month other than December.
• Processed pork products fell 9,7% and accumulated seven consecutive months of decline.
• Overall sector sales, combining fresh cuts and processed products, increased by 2% in the same comparison.
• The first nine months closed with a 1,3% increase in sector sales, driven by the 7,7% growth of fresh pork.
• The gap between fresh pork and processed products reached 22,7 percentage points, the highest since the measurement began.

The price increase of pork during the first nine months of 2026 was 18,1%, below the 20,5% increase in beef and the 27,5% increase in chicken. In September alone, the pork price index rose 1,3% month on month, compared with 0,9% for beef and 0,2% for chicken, while the general Food and Beverages index published by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (Indec) advanced by 2%.

“Hoy la informalidad supera el 22% de la faena total.”Juan Uccelli, consultor porcino

On the subject of consumption, the pork consultant Juan Uccelli estimated that annual per capita consumption already exceeds 25 kilos when formal and informal marketing are combined. He also noted that informal sales currently represent more than 22% of total slaughter, the highest proportion among the three main animal proteins.