The average price per kilo of beef reached $31,819 in the last week of April, up 5.4% since January, according to Dane data. This rise occurs amid a debate on exports and price controls pushed by the Government. Year-over-year, the increase is 15.6%.
Data from the Dane's Sistema de Información de Precios y Abastecimiento del Sector Agropecuario (Sipsa) indicate that beef prices rose 5.4% year-to-date, from $30,179 per kilo in the first week of January to $31,819 in the last week of April.
Year-over-year, the increase is steeper at 15.6%, from $27,502 in April 2025 to the current $31,819. Among cuts analyzed, chatas saw the highest rise of 7.03%, followed by bola de brazo at 6.19% and falda at 6.05%.
Óscar Cubillos, head of Fedegán's Office of Planning and Economic Research, attributed the hike to higher demand from rising family incomes. "There was an increase in family incomes, both in 2025 and 2026. In the first, the minimum wage rose 9.5%, and in 2026, 23.7%," he explained. Bovine slaughter increased 6.3% in 2025, the best figure since 2013, and remains similar this year.
The issue has sparked debate: President Gustavo Petro's Government proposed banning beef exports, worth about US$350 million annually, to prioritize the domestic market and curb inflation. Petro reiterated this stance in response to Fedegán.
