The Government repeals regulations up to 60 years old to liberalize the livestock and fisheries market

The national government moved forward with the repeal of several regulations governing bovine, ovine, caprine, and buffalo livestock, some of which had been in force for decades.

Through Resolution 98/2025 of the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries (effective as of January 1, 2026), the minimum slaughter weight for bovine cattle imposed since 2007 was eliminated. This restriction had set thresholds such as 165 kg (364 pounds) for males and 140 kg (309 pounds) for females, with penalties for those who slaughtered below these limits.

The executive justified the measure by arguing that the sector now possesses sufficient technical knowledge, making state intervention unnecessary.

Promotional regimes eliminated

Additionally, through Decree 408/2025, historic promotional regimes for ovine, caprine, buffalo, and bovine livestock in arid zones, created between 2001 and 2006 under specific laws, were dissolved.

It was argued that these programs had lost their impact in terms of productivity and were misaligned with the sector's new conditions. Instead, the government stated that it is now committed to private lines of credit rather than subsidies.

Fisheries: outdated regulations also eliminated

Although the main focus was on livestock, deregulation also extended to regulations related to fisheries.

While they are not listed in detail in the Official Gazette, the official communication mentions a series of repeals affecting obsolete regulations in services, trade, and industry, strengthening economic freedom.

Objective of the measure

The reforms are part of Decree 70/2023, which promotes broad deregulation as the current government's economic philosophy. The purpose was "to eliminate distortions, reduce bureaucracy, and grant autonomy to producers and entrepreneurs." Casa Rosada stated that these rules were outdated and counterproductive: "they hindered productive planning and increased process costs."

Sector reactions

The Argentine Rural Society welcomed the elimination of the minimum weight, emphasizing that its removal favors debureaucratization and competitiveness. Experts consulted pointed out that historically these regulations ignored climatic and market factors and failed to improve productivity.