Peanut

Who they are

The cluster's mission is to drive the development of the peanut industry, create jobs and real wealth, export quality, invest in technology and scientific research, and promote the growth of a region and the progress of its community. It is an iconic, vertically integrated regional economy that sells almost exclusively to export markets.

Based mainly in the province of Córdoba, which accounts for 77% of Argentina's peanut production. The production and processing base is concentrated in a corridor across the departments of Juárez Celman, General San Martín and Tercero Arriba. Fundación Maní Argentino, a cornerstone of the cluster, is headquartered in General Cabrera, at the heart of the growing area.

High-oleic peanuts
Confectionery
Exports
Traceability

Key fact

1st

world exporter of shelled peanuts by value (Argentina), with Córdoba producing 77% of the crop

Flagship products / services

The peanut that opens the most demanding markets

A quality edge you can point to: Córdoba peanuts are high-oleic (Omega 9), nutrient-dense and subject to strict aflatoxin control and traceability, which places them in segments where quality is a condition of entry.

Raw peanuts (blanched/confectionery)

Neither roasted nor cooked. Makes up almost the entire export basket: 94.7% of the industry's export value, or US$949 million in 2024 (+16% year over year).

Value-added products

Alongside raw peanuts, roasted peanuts and peanut butter contribute US$145M (+9%), peanut oil US$84M and pellets/expellers US$8M.

Global reach

Export destinations

The top 5 markets account for about 62.9% of value, with Europe as the dominant region.

Netherlands

United Kingdom

Poland

France

Russia

The Netherlands is the leading destination and the logistics gateway (Rotterdam) to the rest of Europe. The United Kingdom, Poland, France and Russia round out the top 5.

Milestones

Milestones setting the agenda

1
Provincial weight / global leadership
Measured by point of shipment (the processing plants), Córdoba is the world's top exporter of shelled peanuts by value, and it also accounts for 77% of Argentina's peanut farming.
2
Market access
Duty-free entry to the European Union and the United Kingdom for raw peanuts (HS 1202.42), and the UK also applies 0% VAT. The EU-Mercosur agreement will phase out the 11-12% tariff on processed peanuts (HS 2008.11) over about 8 years, a significant opening for value-added products.
3
Strategic international partnerships
Member of the European Snack Association (ESA) and the American Peanut Council (APC).

Projects

What the cluster is working on with the Agency

Initiatives co-funded and supported by the Agency together with Peanut.

Active

Peanut Cluster

Economic indicators study for the Peanut Cluster

Córdoba's Peanut Cluster, represented by the Argentine Peanut Chamber (Cámara Argentina del Maní), commissioned a rigorous, comprehensive quantitative study to measure precisely and systematically the peanut industry's economic contribution to the provincial and national economy. The need was clear: the cluster lacked an up-to-date, industry-specific analysis of its production scale and its contribution to jobs, taxes, investment and value added, which limited its ability to represent the sector before public bodies and advocate for policies that sustain its international competitiveness. The study was commissioned from IERAL – Fundación Mediterránea, which has proven expertise in sector economic analysis. It covers the entire peanut complex: not only processors but also equipment and input suppliers, consultancies, service providers and every other link in the value chain. The work has two main phases. Phase 1, data collection and interviews (months 1–4, December 2025–March 2026): planning and organization, review of official statistics, surveys and interviews with industry companies, and processing of primary data. Phase 2, estimates and reports (months 5–8, April–July 2026): calculating the value chain's gross value added, estimating direct and indirect employment, calculating its tax contribution and tax burden, building production scenarios, and drafting technical reports, an executive summary, an industry fact sheet and presentation materials. A key focus is a comparative analysis with Brazil, Argentine peanuts' main strategic competitor in international markets, to identify the local industry's competitive strengths and weaknesses. 000,000 (ARS 10M non-refundable grant + ARS 11M cash co-funding from the cluster).

2025 December 2025 – July 2026 (8 months)See more

Completed

Peanut Cluster

TecnoManí – Solutions to evolve

Córdoba's Peanut Cluster, represented by the Argentine Peanut Chamber (Cámara Argentina del Maní), ran TecnoManí, an open innovation program designed to connect the peanut industry with the province's tech ecosystem and develop concrete solutions to its production "pain points." The centerpiece was an in-person event day in Río Cuarto in November 2025 (Espacio Muñiz, capacity 400), but the event was not an end in itself: it was the vehicle for launching an ongoing pipeline of technology projects afterward. The agenda covered five major groups of real industry challenges: (1) land access, soil and sustainability (carbon capture, degradation, crop rotation); (2) machinery, contractors and field operations (precision weeding technology, yield monitors for peanuts, site-specific farming, digging robots); (3) digital transformation and barriers to AI adoption; (4) Industry 4.0 processes (autonomous quality control, shelling/blanching, plant safety, fire risk reduction, VR for training); and (5) ocean freight (preventing container condensation, predictive logistics, packaging optimization). The open call brought together four attendee profiles with color-coded badges to make matchmaking easier: peanut companies (120), startups and researchers (180), industry suppliers (50), and public officials plus investment funds (50). The day was split into two blocks (morning: primary production; afternoon: processing, marketing and logistics), with challenge pitches, segmented networking and a keynote on open innovation. Follow-up included one-on-one workshops between companies with challenges and solution providers, and technical working groups for each specific problem. Universities were brought in through the Rectors' Forum and the Peanut Science and Technology Network. Target: launch at least 6 technology development projects and share results with 80% of the cluster within 24 months. 807,000 (ARS 12.15M non-refundable grant + ARS 23.65M cash co-funding).

2025 September 2025 – December 2025 (4 months)See more

Completed

Peanut Cluster

World Peanut Meeting 2024: the latest peanut market trends and technology innovations

Córdoba's Peanut Cluster, represented by the Argentine Peanut Chamber (Cámara Argentina del Maní), organized the World Peanut Meeting 2024, a top-tier international conference that established Córdoba as the world's leading venue for the peanut industry. Argentina, and Córdoba in particular, leads global production of edible-grade peanuts, and the event built on that position to bring together opinion leaders and traders from the world's key markets. The program had three complementary components. Market and technology conferences: two days at the Hotel Quinto Centenario in the city of Córdoba with confirmed high-profile international speakers, including Zhang Peng (scientist and executive at JLA China), Saravanan Lokasundaram (Agrocrops Hong Kong, a leader in East Asia), Sergey Khaesh (Agroimpex, market leader in Russia) and Andreas Snyman (GWK Innovative Agriculture, South Africa), along with representatives from the United States, Brazil, India and the European Union. Technology expo: booths from Argentine and international companies showcasing the industry's latest technologies and innovative services. Technical visit to General Deheza: a day of tours of peanut farms and plants, organized with the Circuito del Maní, with live demonstrations of the Argentine cluster's advanced technology and sustainability initiatives. Direct beneficiaries were the 20 members of the Córdoba Peanut Cluster, 35 affiliated members of the Argentine Peanut Chamber and other companies and institutions in the industry. Beyond raising Córdoba's international profile, the event provided strategic input to redefine the cluster's Strategic Plan based on the global trends it identified. 791,391 (ARS 5M non-refundable grant + ARS 13.83M cash co-funding + ARS 960K in kind).

2023 November 2023 – April 2024 (6 months)See more