Livestock and beef market situation in Argentina

Almost 80 % of Argentinas surface is apt for agriculture and cattle raising, and due to a strong expansion of world demand, the Argentine economy has always developed on the basis of its farming products exports. 80 % of the Argentine bovines are concentrated in the ''Pampas'' region where cattle graze freely day and night under the careful watch of the ''Gaucho''. Animal breeding and grazing do not need fertilizers or hormones due to the abundance and nutritional quality of grasslands. Cattle raising is the most extended regional economy in the country and almost 100,000 families live directly on its production. It gives way to one of the oldest and most developed industries of the country: beef manufacturing. Argentine cattle raising, which suffered great damage caused by Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), has nevertheless kept its capacity and conditions for producing high quality beef. Now Argentine has become free of FMD - as a result of the efforts made by farmers, intermediary negotiators and the official sector. Together with the world wide recognition as BSE free country, Argentina will start working with a much wider horizon ahead.