Cattle herd set to decline for the sixth consecutive year

Paraguay’s cattle herd is expected to post another decline in 2026 once vaccination data are finalized. This would mark the sixth consecutive annual drop and a cumulative loss of more than 1.3 million head over the five-year period.

According to official projections obtained by Valor Agro and shared by the National Service for Animal Quality and Health (Senacsa) with key stakeholders in the livestock chain, the national herd could stand at around 12.8 million head under a baseline scenario, while a more pessimistic outlook places it at 12.69 million. If the latter scenario materializes, the country would lose nearly 350,000 additional cattle compared to 2025, deepening a downward trend that has consolidated in recent years.

In 2025, the cattle inventory had already contracted by 3.2%, closing the year at 13,034,491 head. The data confirmed a declining dynamic that, according to official sanitary records, has persisted for several production cycles. Between 2015 and 2025, Paraguay vaccinated 1.4 million fewer head, reflecting a structural contraction of the national herd.

Source: Valor Agro