María Powell, who owns a family business in Bengolea, is the new head of the entity, replacing José Arrieta.
Pork consumption in Argentina reached a historic record in 2025-2026, reaching almost 20 kg per inhabitant per year.
This 200% growth over two decades is due to more competitive prices than beef and improvements in quality, establishing itself as a regular alternative in the diet.
Record consumption: exceeded 18.9-19.3 kg per person annually.
Substitution of beef: due to the high price of beef, pork is positioned as a 30% cheaper option.
Change in habits: increased consumption of fresh meat (cuts like pork belly, tenderloin) compared to processed meats, a trend driven by its quality and leanness. An 80% increase: Consumption grew by 80% in the last ten years, rising from about 10 kg to almost 20 kg.
Production and slaughter context: national production grew by nearly 9% in 2025, with a slaughter of almost 8 million animals.
Impact of imports: despite the record, producers warn about the pressure from imports from Brazil and tight profitability.
María Powell, a producer from the Bengolea area, in the south of the province of Córdoba, has assumed the presidency of the Cámara de Productores de Porcinos de Córdoba (CAPPCOR).
Powell, who replaces José Arrieta, president for four years, was introduced during a meeting at the Bolsa de Cereales de Córdoba where CAPPCOR celebrated the tenth anniversary of its creation.
“The central challenges we face today as producers, I in my own farm, is to be much more efficient because increasingly, costs are becoming tighter and efficiency is the way to continue driving the growth of pork production,” she defined.
“Another major challenge is to position pork on the tables of Argentines: I personally believe that the growth in pork consumption has been due to pricing rather than positioning,” she pointed out.
“And there lies the great work we must do: take advantage of this situation we find ourselves in regarding the price of beef. Go out and communicate the great product we make. We have nothing to envy from the main and best producers in the world, we need to communicate that,” she emphasized.
The farm that Powell now manages was founded by her father three decades ago, when he made the bold decision to invest in pigs.
“We (her family) told him it wasn't the best option, however over time we have had to acknowledge that he was a visionary,” she recounted.
