Despite the sharp drop in consumption in butcher shops and supermarkets in the neighborhoods of lower purchasing powerthe price of the farm resumed its upward path during the week in the Cañuelas Agricultural Market, with less entry of animals.
In the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA), the Prices refuse to drop in wealthy neighborhoods such as Recoleta, Puerto Madero, Belgrano, Palermo, Pilar and Nordelta, among others, while in butcher shops and supermarkets in the southern area and the Conurbano – Villa Lugano, Villa Soldati, Liniers, Floresta, La Matanza, Avellaneda, Lomas de Zamora and others – some are noticeable sales in stores.
Meat: how much consumption fell in January
In the first week of the year there was a 19% decline in sales volume in the large supermarket chains, compared to the first week of January last year.
According to analysts, economic activity is paralyzing, as a result of the acceleration in prices. It is noticeable in some areas in particular: from fuel sales to construction materials sales.
The director of the consulting firm Scentia, Osvaldo Del Río, projects that this year could show a 7% decline in mass consumption sales.
Cañuelas Market
The General Index of Cañuelas market It rose 8.51% on Friday compared to Wednesday – the strong trading days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday -, going from 1,250.2 to 1,356.6 pesos per kilo. During the week, this key indicator rose 11.46%, compared to $1,217.2 on Friday, January 12.
Anyway, that rise for now Nor does he find room to go to the butcher shops, in the midst of the fierce fall in consumption caused by sustained inflation and the impact on the pockets of the middle class.
During the week, 24,458 cattle were sold in Cañuelas, 17.1% less than in the previous commercial segment.
It was another day with low offer: 7,859 cattle were unloaded from 204 trucks, which completed an entry of 24,458 animals since Tuesday, 17.1% less than that of the same previous commercial segment, of 29,502 heads.
From the beginning of the auctions, the buyers who supply the AMBA retail consumption and the representatives of the meat processing plants operated with sustained interest to cover their needs, which resulted in higher values than those in force in the previous days.
Meat: what happens in butcher shops
In the southern area of the City of Buenos Aires andThe price of meat fell and now it costs between $2,760 and $8,990 per kilo, with variations that depend on the cut that one chooses to buy and, to a large extent, the neighborhood where the purchase is made.
The price of meat is higher in areas such as Recoleta, Belgrano and Palermo. The same goes for fruits and vegetables.
Carlos Ernesto Príncipeowner of butcher shops in Mercado del Progreso de Caballito – the neighborhood that best represents the consumption of the middle sectors -, clarified that for nowa “the price of second-hand meat dropped.”
On the other hand, Príncipe explained that “double A meat, the good one, doesn’t go down.”
Furthermore, he warned that consumption fell by 25%, because “before it was bought to keep in the freezer, now they buy it for daily consumption.”
Thus, the fall in meat consumption and the brake on rebranding, for now, can represent a good ally for the Government. Meat has a weight of almost 10% in the price index prepared by INDEC.
In this framework, the drop in consumption may end impacting inflation in January and prevent it from shooting above 25%.
According to LCG consultancy, Food inflation in the third week of the month was 2.1%, below the previous two weeks.
The item that moved the least, with the sole exception of fruits, It was precisely that of meat, with 0%.
It is the second consecutive week that the meat remains unchanged. At this rate, January will close at low rise levels, and will help partially offset the high rates and increases in prepaid bills.
Source: Ambito
