April 11, 2022

Continual drop expected for EU beef production

The European Union's beef production is set to continue declining this year, according to the European Commission's short-term outlook report for EU agricultural markets.

The report envisages a slight decrease in beef production across the EU by 0.9% in 2022, which it said will be caused by "continuing structural adjustments in the beef and milk sector".

Additionally, the report said that high input prices for beef farmers, notably for feed, might lead to some additional slaughtering and to lower carcass weight, especially in intensive beef farms where feed costs will weigh more on farm profitability.

The EU's consumption of beef is likely to continue declining, with a 0.9% per capita decrease expected in 2022, in the context of higher meat and food prices that will weigh on the appeal of meat in general.

In 2022, EU beef exports are expected to grow only slightly by 1%, constrained by limited domestic availability and despite the relatively high prices at global level.

A continuing decline of live exports is expected as well this year due to the cessation of trade with Russia.

EU imports of beef are expected to recover by 5% due to the reopening of foodservices in many EU countries, having declined by 7.3% last year.

- Agriland