Uruguay: Beef export price exceeds US$5,000, reaching a new high since 2022

According to preliminary INAC data, the value of one tonne exported last week reached US $5,530 , up 9% from the previous week's revised figures. This is a remarkable value, in addition to the higher proportion of free-range meat from animals slaughtered entirely and feasting under quota 481.

As a result, the average value over the past 30 days was $5,073 per tonne, the highest since $5,087 in September 2022. This year, it reached $4,783 per tonne, which is 18.7% higher than the $4,030 per tonne for the same period in 2024 .

In the first 10 days of May, shipments to the EU increased by 65% ​​year-on-year, and to China by 8%. Although this data is incomplete, it shows growth not seen in a long time.

"The current beef price surge is the beginning of a journey, not the middle or the end; it's already here, and this time it's sustainable," analyst Simon Quilty said at the World Angus Forum in Brisbane, Australia , last week. He distinguished the current market dynamics from the previous peak in 2022, which was "artificially triggered by the COVID-19 chaos."

The lamb market is struggling: last week, the export price was $3,909, down from the previous week, and the 30-day average was $4,925. The annual average was $5,097, up 39% from the 2024 level.