Argentina-Beef production.

ARGENTINA.

Beef production.

For the first nine months of 2008, there were 11.8 million cattle slaughtered in Argentina, producing 2.3 million tons of beef.

Beef exports for the nine month period was only 272,000 tons, well below the official quota.

The farmers strike stopped production from March to the first week of July.

In August 37,163tons of beef was exported and September 41,941 tons, well below the allocated quota of 45,000 tons per month.

There were 1.35 million head of cattle slaughtered in September, which was an average of 337,500 each week.

Just as things were picking up, Argentina was caught up in the backlash of the global financial crisis, buyers were not in a position to honor commitments from Russia, while European buyers are offering less than the home market.