Argentina's milk output rose 9%, while farmers' income fell 10.8%
Data from the Argentine Dairy Chain Observatory (OCLA) show that the inflation-adjusted price of milk declined by 18.2% year on year during the first seven months of 2026. Measured in dollars, the decrease was 13.9%. The additional volume sold partly offset the price decline, but average accumulated turnover through July still dropped by 10.8% in real terms.
The national average milk price reached 527.47 pesos per litre in July. Prices varied across provinces: Salta recorded the highest figure at 561.42 pesos, followed by Buenos Aires at 550.73 pesos. The averages were 521.76 pesos in Santa Fe, 521.74 pesos in Entre Ríos, 517.69 pesos in Córdoba, 509.50 pesos in La Pampa and 525.28 pesos in San Luis.
Santiago del Estero had the lowest reported price, at 495.60 pesos per litre. The difference between the highest and lowest provincial averages was therefore almost 66 pesos per litre. OCLA’s figures also distinguish milk by its composition, alongside volume and other quality measures used in determining the amount received by producers.
Across the surveyed regions, milk contained an average of 3.92% butterfat and 3.55% protein, producing 7.47% useful solids. La Pampa had the highest combined solids level among the regions cited, at 7.72%, comprising 4.07% fat and 3.65% protein. Entre Ríos recorded the lowest combined figure among those regions, at 7.35%.
The average establishment in the surveyed dairy basins produced 3,667 litres a day. Santa Fe Sur ranked first at 6,033 litres, followed by Mar y Sierras in Buenos Aires at 5,674 litres. Córdoba Sur averaged 4,872 litres, Villa María 4,808 litres, Buenos Aires Oeste 4,662 litres and Entre Ríos Este 4,438 litres per day.
The lowest daily averages were reported in Santiago del Estero, at 2,070 litres, Entre Ríos Oeste, at 2,257 litres, and La Pampa, at 2,603 litres. Santa Fe Centro was a separate case in the survey: it included 2,483 establishments and accounted for 26.7% of the production covered, while its average output was 2,831 litres per establishment per day.
