Fork more pork, in Argentina

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Folks in Argentina are well known as the biggest consumers of beef in the world. They are also known for being somewhat . . . er . . . macho. So it's hard to say how effective President Cristina Fernandez's pitch for the country's pork industry will be.

The news agency Reuters reports that Fernandez told pig farming leaders that eating pork was more effective than taking Viagra. Her experience was related to a previous weekend with her husband where barbecued pork was consumed. Her speech was televised.

The beef industry in Argentina isn't what it used to be. The beef herd fell by seven per cent between 2006 and 2009 as drought conditions and government controls on exports forced producers out of the business. The export ban was imposed to lower domestic prices and tame overall inflation. In 2009, Argentines were expected to eat 154 pounds of beef per capita, up from 132 pounds in 2006. BF