25 November 2021

1 minute read

EU beef production was down 1% during the first eight months of the year, AHDB said in a recent report. In that time period, production totalled 4.4 million tonnes. Slaughter remained virtually unchanged from the same period a year ago. The report states that 14.9 million cattle and calves were slaughtered in the EU in 2021. 

Since AHDB's previous update, those trends have remained. Ireland is still the main cause of decline, posting an 8% annual fall in production over the same period.

Production was also lower in several other countries, including Germany, Poland and Belgium. Conversely, Spain showed a notable increase in production. Production there is up 6%. Figures for  France were virtually unchanged on the year. France is the EU's largest producer of beef.

The EU Commission forecasts that cattle slaughter will have increased in the second half of the year, considering the pull of high cattle prices and push of increasingly expensive feed costs. Total-year production is therefore forecast at -0.5% from 2020. For 2022, production is expected to contract further.