Beef is a key component of traditional Argentine cuisine. Argentina has the world's highest consumption rate of beef, at 68 kg a year per capita. As of 2006, livestock farmers keep between 50 and 55 million head of cattle, mostly in the fertile pastures of the Pampas, and the country is currently the third largest beef exporter in the world after Brazil and Australia. The national government applies a 15% tax on beef exports and has applied further restrictions since March 2006 to keep internal prices at bay.