Cattle herd liquidation not over yet, says analyst

For cattle analyst Ignacio Iriarte, indirect indicators of the cattle cycle show that, although much more moderate than in previous years, stock liquidation has not yet ended in Argentina. “When we count cattle at the end of the year, there will probably be 200,000 to 400,000 fewer head. Cow slaughter is low, already at the level that the herd allows, but heifer slaughter remains surprisingly high,” he said in an interview with the portal Más Producción. As for the causes, he noted that although prices and weather are favorable, the significant level of economic uncertainty in the country plays against rebuilding, in addition to the fact that the price scenario makes it more tempting to sell than to buy cattle. He estimated that slaughter this year will be high, around 14 million head.