Agricultural Policy Monitoring and Evaluation 2026

3. Argentina

Main findings

Support to agriculture

Argentina’s overall support to agriculture has been negative since the early 2000s, largely due to export taxes that depress domestic prices received by farmers (negative Market Price Support, MPS). In 2023‑25, the Producer Support Estimate (PSE) averaged USD -8.6 billion (-13.5% of gross farm receipts), indicating that farmers bear the cost of transfers to government (export tax revenue) and to consumers (via lower prices). This represents a deterioration compared to 2000‑02 (-8.6%), although annual values show considerable volatility in recent years, with particularly negative levels in 2024 and 2025 (around ‑15.1%). MPS affects a large share of production, covering about 89% of total output in 2025, indicating widespread price distortions. As a result, domestic prices remain below international levels, with a Nominal Protection Coefficient (NPC) of around 0.92‑0.95 in recent years.

Budgetary support is provided to farmers in the form of output payments for tobacco producers and for input use, mainly through credit at preferential rates, along with occasional disaster payments (mainly for drought).

Expenditures on general services (GSSE) reached USD 316 million in 2025, having increased substantially compared to 2000‑02 levels. However, GSSE remains small relative to the size of the sector and does not offset the strongly negative transfers to producers.

Consumers benefit from lower domestic prices, as reflected in a positive Consumer Support Estimate (CSE) of USD 2.4 billion in 2025. This corresponds to implicit transfers from producers through lower food prices, although these benefits fluctuate with macroeconomic conditions.

Overall, Total Support Estimate (TSE) remains negative, at USD -9.2 billion in 2025 (-1.36% of GDP), indicating that agriculture as a whole is a net contributor to the economy. Budgetary support (TBSE) has increased over time, reaching USD 536 million in 2025, it remains modest and insufficient to counterbalance the large implicit taxation arising from price policies.

Key policy changes in 2025-26

Argentina continued policy reforms seeking deregulation of trade, services, and production. These reforms eliminated restrictions on the supply of goods and services and removed regulatory barriers to encourage productivity and economic growth. This resulted in several new measures related to agriculture. Export taxes were permanently reduced for key commodities (beef, soybeans, maize, wheat, barley, sorghum, and sunflower) and removed for some other products (including sugar, cotton, bovine leather, tobacco, forestry industry, and rice). Administrative export permits were simplified or removed, and regional product exports were deregulated.

Steps were taken to strengthen animal health surveillance and traceability systems. In November 2025 a technical standard mandating electronic individual identification for all bovines, buffalos, and cervids was approved. As of January 2026, animals of these species cannot be moved or remain on their birth farm after weaning without an official electronic device (a visual tag plus an RFID component). This measure strengthens existing individual traceability requirements, exceeding market standards and will allow complete tracking from primary production to the meat industry once fully implemented. In addition, measures were adopted in response to outbreaks of the Avian Influenza and Equine Encephalomyelitis outbreaks.

Assessment and recommendations

• Gradually reduce export taxes and avoid ad hoc trade restrictions as part of a broader, predictable tax reform framework. Argentina’s agricultural sector remains highly competitive and strongly export-oriented, but policy settings – particularly export taxes – keep domestic prices below international levels and weaking incentives to invest. This can reduce the adoption of new technologies, including those needed to adapt to climate risks, thereby constraining productivity, and farmers’ resilience. Phasing down export taxes and embedding reforms in a predictable and transparent framework would reduce uncertainty and encourage long-term planning and investment.

• Improve policy predictability and coherence. Frequent changes in export measures, taxation and macroeconomic conditions create uncertainty and discourage investment. A more stable policy environment would support access to finance and value chain development.

• Rebalance public expenditure towards general services, particularly agricultural innovation, extension, and infrastructure seeking long term returns. Public expenditure on agriculture remains limited and focused on short-term or targeted measures, while recent reductions in research and development (R&D) funding are weaking the agricultural innovation system. This risks undermining capacities in research, extension and knowledge transfer that are essential for sustainable productivity growth.

• Strengthen agricultural risk management by moving from ad-hoc assistance to more structured, market-based approaches. Climate variability continues to expose the sector to significant risks while current responses rely heavily on ad-hoc assistance, which can be costly, unpredictable and weaken incentives for risk mitigation and adaptation. Expanding the use of market-based insurance tools, improving access to timely and reliable climate information and promoting incentives for climate-smart practices would enhance the sector’s resilience and support more sustainable and predictable outcomes.

• Ensure that support for small-scale and family farmers is well targeted and focused on productivity, market integration and access to innovation. While existing programmes have aimed to address structural heterogeneity in the sector, recent reductions risk weakening access to services, finance and technical support for these farmers. Targeted assistance can support more inclusive growth and help reduce structural inequalities over time.

• Integrate environmental sustainability into agricultural policy and practices would support long-term sector performance. Current approaches place relatively limited emphasis on aligning productivity gains with environmental objectives. Pressures on land use, soil health and input efficiency risk undermining long-term performance if not adequately addressed. An integrated approach, supported by stronger innovation systems, would help align productivity with climate and environmental objectives.

Key indicators on agricultural support

Table 3.1. Argentina: Estimates of support to agriculture

Million USD

	2000-02	2023-25	2023	2024	2025p
Total value of production (at farm gate)	16 379	76 121	103 380	62 033	62 950
of which: share of MPS commodities (%)	82.55	86.65	84.72	86.35	88.87
Total value of consumption (at farm gate)	7 449	57 742	86 858	42 837	43 530
Producer Support Estimate (PSE)	-809	-8 604	-6 959	-9 385	-9 468
Support based on commodity output	-843	-8 729	-7 139	-9 444	-9 603
Market price support¹	-905	-8 803	-7 207	-9 514	-9 688
Positive market price support	47	399	309	463	426
Negative market price support	-952	-9 202	-7 516	-9 977	-10 114
Payments based on output	62	74	68	70	85
Payments based on input use	34	124	179	59	135
Based on variable input use	2	21	24	2	37
with input constraints	0	0	0	0	0
Based on fixed capital formation	23	70	118	44	47
with input constraints	0	0	0	0	0
Based on on-farm services	8	34	37	13	51
with input constraints	0	0	0	0	0
Payments based on current A/An/R/I, production required	0	1	2	0	0
Based on Receipts / Income	0	0	0	0	0
Based on Area planted / Animal numbers	0	1	2	0	0
with input constraints	0	0	0	0	0
Payments based on non-current A/An/R/I, production required	0	0	0	0	0
Payments based on non-current A/An/R/I, production not required	0	0	0	0	0
With variable payment rates	0	0	0	0	0
with commodity exceptions	0	0	0	0	0
With fixed payment rates	0	0	0	0	0
with commodity exceptions	0	0	0	0	0
Payments based on non-commodity criteria	0	0	0	0	0
Based on long-term resource retirement	0	0	0	0	0
Based on a specific non-commodity output	0	0	0	0	0
Based on other non-commodity criteria	0	0	0	0	0
Miscellaneous payments	0	0	0	0	0
Percentage PSE (%)	-8.64	-13.49	-6.72	-15.10	-14.99
Producer NPC (coeff.)	0.92	0.93	0.93	0.95	0.92
Producer NAC (coeff.)	0.92	0.88	0.94	0.87	0.87
General Services Support Estimate (GSSE)	116	396	525	348	316
Agricultural knowledge and innovation system	66	211	306	183	144
Inspection and control	33	145	139	142	153
Development and maintenance of infrastructure	17	31	58	20	14
Marketing and promotion	0	10	21	4	5
Cost of public stockholding	0	0	0	0	0
Miscellaneous	0	0	0	0	0
Percentage GSSE (% of TSE)	.	.	.	.	.
Consumer Support Estimate (CSE)	212	2 475	3 998	979	2 449
Transfers to producers from consumers	250	3 102	4 627	1 711	2 967
Other transfers from consumers	-6	-1	-2	7	-8
Transfers to consumers from taxpayers	0	-0	0	0	0
Excess feed cost	-32	-625	-627	-739	-510
Percentage CSE (%)	6.13	4.30	4.60	2.29	5.63
Consumer NPC (coeff.)	0.94	0.95	0.95	0.96	0.94
Consumer NAC (coeff.)	0.94	0.96	0.96	0.98	0.95
Total Support Estimate (TSE)	-692	-8 208	-6 434	-9 036	-9 152
Transfers from consumers	-244	-3 101	-4 625	-1 718	-2 959
Transfers from taxpayers	-442	-5 106	-1 808	-7 325	-6 185
Budget revenues	-6	-1	-2	7	-8
Percentage TSE (% of GDP)	-0.74	-1.34	-1.00	-1.43	-1.36
Total Budgetary Support Estimate (TBSE)	213	595	773	477	536
Percentage TBSE (% of GDP)	0.10	0.08	0.12	0.08	0.08
GDP deflator (2000-02 = 100)	100	105 502	38 204	117 517	160 786
Exchange rate (national currency per USD)	1.69	817.27	296.26	914.69	1 240.85

.. Not available

Note: p: provisional. NPC: Nominal Protection Coefficient. NAC: Nominal Assistance Coefficient.

A/An/R/I: Area planted/Animal numbers/Receipts/Income.

1. Market Price Support (MPS) is net of producer levies and excess feed cost. MPS commodities for Argentina are: wheat, maize, soybean, sunflower, fruit and vegetables, milk, beef and veal, pig meat, poultry and eggs.

Source: OECD (2026), “Producer and Consumer Support Estimates”, OECD Agricultural policy monitoring (database), https://data-explorer.oecd.org/.

Policy landscape

Unlike most countries covered by this report, Argentina maintains export restrictions that result in domestic prices lower than on international markets. Export taxes are by far the most important market intervention and a major source of government revenues. Export taxes are set under executive authority and were modified by decree in January, July, September, and December 2025, reducing or eliminating them for some products.

Input subsidies are mainly provided via preferential credits that finance investment and working capital for producing certain commodities. For example, the National Agro-industry Trust Fund (Fondo Fiduciario Nacional de Agroindustria, FONDAGRO) financed investment in the sector at preferential interest rates for specific groups between 2017 and 2024. The Ministry of Productive Development provides credit financing for capital investments by micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in the poultry and pig sectors.

Direct payments are occasionally provided as disaster assistance in response to extreme weather events, particularly droughts. Support is generally triggered following the declaration of an agricultural emergency or disaster at provincial level under the national agricultural emergency framework. Assistance may include direct transfers, subsidised credit, tax deferrals, or debt restructuring measures for affected producers identified through provincial emergency declarations and damage assessments.

One long-standing support programme remains in place within Argentina's World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments. The Special Tobacco Fund (FET) was created in 1972 to provide additional revenue and support to tobacco producers in certain northwestern and northeastern provinces. The fund is financed by a 7% tax on retail tobacco sales. The federal government transfers 80% of collected funds to tobacco-producing provinces based on their share of production. After signing the WTO agreement in 1994, Argentina committed to reducing this support, and FET payments to tobacco producers have declined. The remaining funds are used for technical assistance, investing in local infrastructure, diversification of agricultural production, and providing social and health assistance to the population in need.

Inspection and control services are the largest form of general services provided, representing 51% of the GSSE. The safety and quality of agricultural and livestock products is controlled via regulations and standards for the production, processing, and transport of agricultural products. The National Food Safety and Quality Service (Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria, SENASA) is the agency responsible for this, as well as certification, inspection, and laboratory services to ensure compliance with these standards. SENASA also works to prevent and control the spread of animal and plant diseases. The agency registers pesticides and other agricultural chemicals for agricultural use and oversees agrochemical products that are imported or manufactured in the country to protect human health. The National Institute of Viticulture oversees the authenticity and safety of wine production, and the control of ethyl alcohol and methanol in compliance with national laws. It recognises and protects Geographical Indications to highlight product quality based on origin.

Expenditures for the agricultural knowledge and innovation system represents 42% of the GSSE. The National Institute of Agricultural Technology (Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, INTA) is the national organisation responsible for research and promoting technological innovation in agriculture, livestock, and agri-food. The institute conducts scientific and technological research, provides technical assistance and training to farmers and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector, and develops and disseminates knowledge and technologies related to agricultural production, agro-industrial processes, and rural development. INTA also collaborates with national and international organisations, universities, and private companies to promote innovation and competitiveness in the agricultural sector (OECD, 2019[1]; Echeverria, 2021[2]).

The Provincial Agricultural Services Program (Programa de Servicios Agrícolas Provinciales, PROSAP) contributes to the competitiveness and development of rural economies through investments in provincial rural infrastructure (roads, irrigation, electrification, and specific civil works). PROSAP support services to producers and agro-industrial companies are delivered through publicly funded technical assistance, technology and innovation support, business and market development services, and institutional strengthening at provincial and producer levels, complementing rural infrastructure investments to raise competitiveness and value addition.

The Argentina Against Hunger social programme provides financial support for children, pregnant women and disabled people. Support is provided through an electronic food card that can be used in any grocery store. The food card is given to parents of children under the age of 14 who receive the Universal Allowance per Child (AUH), pregnant women who receive the Universal Pregnancy Allowance (AUE), and people with disabilities who receive the AUH. In 2025, the programme reached over 4.4 million beneficiaries (ANSES, 2026[3]).

Argentina’s National Constitution establishes the right to a healthy and balanced environment and provides for the repair of any environmental damage caused. This framework is supported since 2007 by Law 26.331, which sets minimum standards for the protection, restoration and sustainable management of native forests and their ecosystem services. A key instrument of the law is the Territorial Planning of Native Forests, complemented by a National System for Monitoring Native Forests, which promotes sustainable livestock systems in forested areas, including through certification schemes and market differentiation. At the farm level, a national system for the safe management and recycling of empty phytosanitary containers is in place to reduce environmental and health risks.

Other agri-environmental regulations and policies in Argentina are mostly legislated and implemented at the provincial level. For example, Santa Fe has a Good Agricultural Practices Programme combining regulation, technical standards, and economic rewards to encourage producers and institutions to adopt environmentally sustainable, socially responsible, and innovation‑oriented farming practices, particularly in sensitive rural‑urban contexts. The Law on Soil Conservation in Entre Ríos requires mandatory soil conservation for areas with soil degradation, including water and wind erosion, as well as other processes such as nutrient depletion and soil physical or chemical deterioration. These measures are implemented through conservation plans that may include crop rotation, reduced or no-tillage systems, soil cover, and erosion control practices. In Buenos Aires, the Buenas Prácticas Agrícolas – Suelos Bonaerenses programme provides training and supports farmers with extensive production of crops to carry out crop rotation, adopt practices that reduce water and wind erosion, and develop plans to reduce pesticide use. Córdoba has a Law on Good Agricultural Practices that establishes a voluntary programme under which farmers can receive payments for adopting sustainable agricultural practices. Participation is optional and payments are linked to the implementation of certified practices rather than to compliance with mandatory baseline regulations.

The agricultural sector contributes 29% of national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Its updated nationally determined contribution commits the country to an economy-wide net emission limit of 349 MtCO₂eq by 2030. In November 2022, Argentina submitted a long-term strategy to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that includes a target to reach GHG neutrality by 2050. Argentina has implemented several policies and initiatives aimed at mitigating GHG emissions in the Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector, such as promoting more sustainable agricultural and livestock practices and improving knowledge in GHG accountability.

Argentina participates in initiatives, such as the Global Bioenergy Partnership and the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases and the Global Methane Pledge initiative. The National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) plays an important role in research and innovation to reduce GHG emissions from agriculture and has a portfolio of research projects related to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Argentina also participates in several projects aimed at reducing the intensity of GHG emissions in the livestock and rice sectors, as well as fostering adaptation to the adverse climate impacts in agricultural and livestock sector.

Recent policy developments

Domestic policy developments in 2025-26

Production and marketing practices

The mandatory registration of exporters of meat, dairy products and grains in the Single Registry of the Agri-Food Chain (Registro Único de la Cadena Agroalimentaria, RUCA) adopted in 2024 was removed. Since 2025, it has been replaced by the registration in two separate systems: the Argentine Integrated Health Information System (Sistema Integrado de Información Sanitaria Argentino, SISA) for grains; and the Meat and Dairy Operators Information System (Sistema de Información de Operadores de Carnes y Lácteos, SIOCAL) for meat and dairy products. Those already registered in the RUCA were automatically transferred to the new systems. This reform aims to reduce duplicated administrative procedures and inefficiencies in compliance processes.

Some measures were introduced to optimise resources and streamline commercialisation, including facilitating export procedures, implementing electronic certification, and eliminating bureaucratic requirements. The government eliminated the regulation that established a minimum slaughter weight for cattle, starting in January 2026, which is expected to allow for greater flexibility in decision-making by producers. Additionally, the ban on exporting live cattle for slaughter was abolished in 2025. In December 2025, a new unified mechanism for allocating quotas for meat exports to the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States was established.

Complementing these changes, in November 2025, Argentina approved the technical standard that establishes mandatory electronic individual identification of bovines, buffalos and cervids throughout the country. Since January 2026, no animal of these species may be moved or remain at the birth farm after weaning without an official electronic device, consisting of a visual tag and a radio-frequency identification device, which may be a button, bolus, or injectable microchip. This system will expand the scope of individual traceability that was already done for some markets such as the European Union. Once implementation is complete, the moving of each animal will be traceable from birth to slaughter. Technical assistance activities were carried out to support producers in adapting to the new regulations.

Animal and plant health and safety

Responding to outbreaks of Avian Influenza worldwide and particularly in North America, Argentina has strengthened epidemiological surveillance in commercial, backyard, and wild birds through SENASA. In July 2025, Argentina approved the new Contingency Plan for Avian Influenza and the epidemiological surveillance with support from the private sector.

In October 2025, the National Plan for the Control and Eradication of Aujeszky's Disease (Pseudorabies) was updated to include health measures for all swine farms, aligning the requirements with code 8.2 of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Bioeconomy and biotechnology

In 2025 and up to April 2026, Argentina approved 11 plant genetic modifications for commercialisation: seven maize, three soybean, and one cotton variety with different herbicides- and insects-resistant features, along with two genetically modified microorganisms (one yeast for bioethanol and one vaccine for swine disease).1 Additionally, during 2025, Argentina awarded 74 Bioproduct Seals to biomaterials as well as 11 certificates of interest (8 for biomaterials and 3 for bioinputs).

Rural development, family farms and indigenous agriculture

Two programmes established in response to COVID-19 ended in March 2025. These are the Economic Insertion Programme for Family Producers in Northern Argentina (PROCANOR) and the Goat Chain Development Programme (PRODECCA) that aimed to improve the income of goat-producing families in Indigenous Peasant Family Agriculture.

Trade policy developments in 2025-26

Export tax reductions were implemented through a series of executive decrees throughout 2025. Several reductions for regional economy products established since January 2025 were confirmed as permanent, setting rates at 0% for some products, including sugar, food preparations, cotton, bovine leather, beverages, sheep (wool and leather), tobacco, forestry, rice, dairy products, pig meat, and peanuts. A targeted temporary reduction was also applied in September 2025 for soybean and by‑products, subject to a volume cap of USD 7 billion. Additionally, in December 2025 new reductions were made permanent for soybean (from 26% to 24%), soybean by-products (from 24.5% to 22.5%), wheat and barley (from 9.5% to 7.5%), maize and sorghum (from 9.5% to 8.5%), sunflower (from 5.5% to 4.5%), and meat (from 6.75% to 5%).2

During 2025-26, Argentina, as a founding member of MERCOSUR (together with Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay), was involved in three significant developments relating to free trade agreements (FTA). The FTA between MERCOSUR and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was signed in September 2025 and will enter into force once ratified by all parties. The MERCOSUR-Singapore FTA was signed in December 2023 and began entering into force in February 2026 for some members, while ratification remains pending for others.

The Association Agreement between MERCOSUR and the European Union (EU) was signed in January 2026. While Argentina completed its internal ratification procedures in early 2026, the agreement still requires approval by EU institutions and Member States. In January 2026, the European Parliament requested a legal review by the Court of Justice of the European Union, potentially delaying full ratification and implementation of the agreement. However, provisional application of the trade pillar began in May 2026.

Policy context

Key economic and agricultural statistics

Argentina is an upper middle-income country with a dynamic agricultural sector that has been making a growing contribution to the GDP, from 4.7% of the GDP in 2000 to 5.8% in 2024. In contrast, agriculture’s share of employment decreased from 11.4% in 2000 to 7.2% in 2024. The country is one of the world’s largest agricultural exporters, and agro-food represented 41.5% of total exports in 2000, and 43.7% in 2024. In contrast, agro-food imports represented only 5.4% of total imports in 2000 and 9.3% in 2024. Argentina has abundant agricultural land representing around 4% of the total agricultural area of all countries covered in this report, with a large share of this area composed of pastureland.

Table 3.2. Argentina: Contextual indicators

	Argentina		International comparison
	2000*	2024*	2000*	2024*
Economic context			Share in total of all countries
GDP (billion USD in PPPs)	428	1 391	1.1%	0.8%
Population (million)	37	46	0.8%	0.8%
Land area (thousand km2)	2 737	2 737	3.3%	3.2%
Agricultural area (AA) (thousand ha)	128 510	116 136	4.3%	3.9%
			All countries1
Population density (inhabitants/km2)	13	16	52	64
GDP per capita (USD in PPPs)	11 500	30 431	9 508	31 740
Trade as % of GDP	9.1	11.1	12.3	15.0
Agriculture in the economy			All countries1
Agriculture in GDP (%)	4.7	5.8	3.0	3.6
Agriculture share in employment (%)	11.4	7.2	-	-
Agro-food exports (% of total exports)	41.5	43.7	6.4	8.3
Agro-food imports (% of total imports)	5.4	9.3	6.1	7.5
Characteristics of the agricultural sector			All countries1
Crop in total agricultural production (%)	56.7	55.2	62.1	60.4
Livestock in total agricultural production (%)	43.3	44.8	37.9	39.6
Share of arable land in AA (%)	21.5	34.8	33.0	34.0

Note: *or closest available year.

1. Average of all countries covered in this report.

Sources: OECD statistical databases; International Labour Organisation (ILO); UN Comtrade; World Bank, WDI; FAO database and national data.

The Argentine economy began to stall in April 2018, when the peso came under pressure. The currency depreciated by around 40% against the US dollar in 2018 and by approximately 70% over the period 2018‑21. This triggered a recession and led to persistently high inflation, exceeding 40% annually. Inflation subsequently accelerated sharply, reaching 133.5% in 2023 and peaking at 219.9% in 2024, before declining markedly to 41.9% in 2025, signalling initial progress in macroeconomic stabilisation (OECD, 2025[4]).

Exchange rate controls resulted in the coexistence of multiple parallel exchange rates, which increasingly diverged from the official rate. The economy was further adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with GDP contracting by 9.9% in 2020, before rebounding by 10.4% in 2021 and 5.3% in 2022. Economic activity declined again by 1.6% in 2023 and 3.9% in 2024, reflecting the combined effects of a severe drought, the build-up of macroeconomic imbalances, and the impact of the stabilisation programme implemented at the beginning of 2024 (OECD, 2024[5]). Growth resumed in 2025, with real GDP expanding by 4.2% and unemployment at 7.2%.

Argentina runs a significant agro-food trade surplus having exceeded USD 30 billion for most of the past decade and USD 45.6 billion in 2022. This surplus notably decreased to USD 29.2 billion in 2024. Most of agro-food exports (77%) are primary or processed products used as inputs in downstream industries abroad, whereas the much smaller bundle of agro-food imports is mostly composed of primary products for use by industry (76%).

Argentine agricultural production has grown at an annual rate of 0.3% between 2014 and 2023. Within this total growth, 2.1% was due to an increased use of intermediate inputs and 0.6% was due to a primary factor growth. During the same period, Total Factor Productivity (TFP) decreased on average by 2.3%, well below the world average of 0.8%.

Agricultural nutrient balances in Argentina, particularly its average nitrogen balance, are comparatively low, albeit increasing. The shares of agriculture in energy use and in GHG emissions were, at 6.3% and 29.2% respectively in the period 2014-2023, well above the OECD average (2% and 10.3%, respectively), with the high emissions reflecting the large number of ruminants. Notably, the emissions share is well above the sector’s contribution to the economy.

Table 3.3. Argentina: Productivity and environmental indicators

	Argentina		International comparison
	1991-2000	2014-23	1991-2000	2014-23
			World
TFP annual growth rate (%)	1.6%	-2.3%	1.8%	0.8%
			OECD average
Environmental indicators	2000*	2024*	2000*	2024*
Nitrogen balance, kg/ha	6.2	25.7	32.3	29.0
Phosphorus balance, kg/ha	3.0	5.3	3.3	2.3
Agriculture share of total energy use (%)	5.8	6.3	1.7	2.0
Agriculture share of GHG emissions (%)	35.9	29.2	8.7	10.3
Share of irrigated land in AA (%)	1.2	2.0	-	-
Share of agriculture in water abstractions (%)	..	..	46.1	47.7
Water stress indicator	..	..	..	..

Note: * or closest available year.

Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Agricultural Productivity database; OECD statistical databases; FAO database and national data.

Historical trends in agricultural policies

Argentina has a history of macroeconomic instability and policy volatility, switching from open markets to import substitution in a way that has led to overall poor long-term economic performance (OECD, 2019[1]). The main exception has been the agricultural sector which, despite policy impediments, has innovated and grown. Driven by higher international agricultural prices, Argentine agriculture – in particular, in the extended Pampas region – has experienced a major structural transformation. This has been reflected in changing land use, the emergence of soybean as a major commodity, and diversified and growing export markets, especially toward Asia. However, outside of the Pampas, other crops like tobacco, cotton and fruits and vegetables have been less successful.

Argentina liberalised trade in the late 1970s and explored ways to increase trade with its neighbours and other economies from the second half of the 1980s. In the 1990s, the Argentine economy became more integrated in international trade, including the liberalisation of the agri-food sector, through the creation of Mercosur in 1991 and the 1994 WTO Agreement. However, after the financial crisis in 2001, Argentina reverted to increasing tariffs, establishing price controls for food products, and re-introducing export taxes on agricultural products such as soybeans to raise revenue and reduce basic food prices. Further export restrictions in the form of quotas for wheat, maize, milk, and beef were imposed in 2008. Between 2007 and 2011, a consumer price subsidy was implemented. The National Office of Agricultural Commercial Control (ONCCA) agency provided payments to processors purchasing wheat, maize, soybeans, and sunflower products from the local market.

In December 2015, the government began to gradually re-open markets again: it reduced export taxes on soybeans and soybean oil, eliminated export taxes on all other agricultural products, removed all export quotas, and free-floated the exchange rate of the Argentine peso to other currencies. But following the 2018-19 depreciation of the local currency and the subsequent economic recession, export taxes were re-established not only for agri-food products but for all goods by the government that had reduced or eliminated them. By early 2020, agricultural-specific export taxes were re-instated for most products in early 2020. In 2025, export taxes were eliminated for some products and reduced for some others. Simultaneously, the exchange-rate controls introduced in the beginning of 2020 resulted in a widening gap between the official exchange rate and other market exchange rates, which reached a maximum of 89% in 2022. In 2024 and 2025, the gap decreased to its lowest level since 2019 to around a 10%.

Table 3.4. Argentina: Agricultural policy trends

Period	Framework	Changes in agricultural policies
Prior to 1990	Alternate free trade and import substitution policies	Price interventions on main agricultural products, mandatory public stockholding, export taxes on agricultural trade, tariffs on imports of agricultural inputs such as fertiliser, low levels of investment in private agricultural R&D and infrastructure in general. Several attempts to liberalise trade. Creation of agricultural R&D and extension services institute INTA (1956); private institutions such as AACREA (1960) and AAPRESID (1989) created to provide services to farmers.
1991-2001	Shifts to open the economy	Dismantling stockholding and price-setting public institutions, reduction of import and export tariffs, free trade agreements (Mercosur and WTO). Price stabilisation, reduction of barriers to trade, privatisation and deregulation of markets Dissolution of National Commercial Boards (1991). Creation of animal and plant health and food safety SENASA (1996). Creation of the seed regulatory institution INASE (1991).
2002-2015	Return to a closed economy	Implementation of export taxes, import restrictions, value chains subject to regulations as export quotas and price controls at the retail level. The National Office of Agricultural Commercial Control (ONCCA) dismantled (2011).
2016-2017	Gradual shifts to open the economy	Elimination of export taxes for all agricultural commodities, except reduced taxes on soybean exports. Elimination and reforms to the Register of Export Operations ROEs (2015). Federal Agricultural Council (CFA) reformed (2017).
2018-2023	Reintroduction of export taxes	Export taxes established for all exports including agriculture in response to the economic crisis of 2018. Reintroduction of specific taxes on agricultural products and exchange rate controls since 2019. Since December 2023, changes to export taxes are expected to be done by Law and cannot be done by decree. However, export taxes in place until then continued.
2024-Present	Gradual shifts to deregulation	Stabilisation programme implemented. The exchange rate gap was reduced. Export taxes continue to be defined by decree. Temporary reduction and elimination of export taxes for certain agricultural products.

Prior to the 2001 economic crisis, producer support fluctuated around zero. Following the 2001‑02 financial crisis, the reintroduction of export taxes and other trade restrictions led to strongly negative market price support, while budgetary support to producers remained limited. As a result, the Producer Support Estimate (PSE) fell sharply, reaching -38.6% of gross farm receipts in 2014. Reductions in export taxes in 2015 and 2016 moderated this pattern. Budgetary support remained relatively small and was concentrated mainly on tobacco subsidies. Around 60% of total agricultural expenditures over the last decade financed general services to the sector. Between 2007 and 2010, Argentina also provided subsidies to food processors to offset high agricultural commodity prices.

References

[3] ANSES (2026), Informe de Estadísticas de la Seguridad Social. III Tercer Trimestre 2025, ANSES, https://www.anses.gob.ar/sites/default/files/2026-02/Informe%20de%20Estad%C3%ADsticas%20de%20la%20SS%20III%20Trim.%202025.pdf.

[2] Echeverria, R. (2021), A Note on Agricultural Productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Call to Increase Investment in Innovation, https://globalagriculturalproductivity.org/a-note-on-agricultural-productivity-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-a-call-to-increase-investment-in-innovation/.

[4] OECD (2025), OECD Economic Outlook, Volume 2025 Issue 2: Resilient Growth but with Increasing Fragilities, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9f653ca1-en.

[5] OECD (2024), OECD Economic Outlook, Volume 2024 Issue 2, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/d8814e8b-en.

[1] OECD (2019), Agricultural Policies in Argentina, OECD Food and Agricultural Reviews, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264311695-en.

Notes

← 1.  See https://www.argentina.gob.ar/agricultura/alimentos-y-bioeconomia/ogm-vegetal-eventos-con-autorizacion-comercial.

← 2.  See Boletin Oficial Republica Argentina - Nomenclatura común del MERCOSUR - decreto 877/2025.