October 8, 2022

 

Meat and dairy production in the EU to decline due to weather and diseases

 

 

Meat and dairy production in the European Union is projected to decline in 2022 and next year as livestock farms are affected by drought, outbreak of diseases, and rising input costs, Reuters reported.

 

This summer's historic drought in Europe has made it harder for farmers to feed their livestock, who are also dealing with skyrocketing energy and fertiliser costs.

 

Farming organisations have issued a warning about tight supplies that could exacerbate high food inflation due to indications of declining livestock output.

 

According to the European Commission's short-term agriculture outlook, the EU's milk production is expected to decline by 0.5% this year as hot, dry weather lowers cows' milk production and a lack of forage encourages some farmers to reduce herd sizes.

 

The report also said the hot, humid summer reduced milk's fat and protein content for processed dairy products.

 

Like other observers, the Commission noted that the first quarter of 2023 might be challenging because dairy farmers face high feed costs in the winter and possible weakening consumer demand as a result of inflation.

 

It predicted a smaller decline in EU milk output of 0.2% for the entire following year. A decrease in cow numbers, seen falling by 0.8% after a 0.9% decline predicted for 2022, was largely offset by anticipated higher yields in normal weather.

 

For beef, it was anticipated that rising feed costs would exacerbate a longer-term decline in herd sizes and result in a 0.6% decline in production this year, followed by a smaller 0.2% decline in 2023.

 

Aside from rising feed prices, the African swine fever (ASF) and avian influenza, or bird flu, outbreaks have negatively impacted the pork and poultry industries.

 

The production of pork was expected to decrease by 5% this year, primarily because of a severe decline in Germany, which has been severely impacted by ASF, and then by 0.7% in 2023.

 

Production declines of 0.9% in 2022 and 0.4% in 2023 were anticipated in the poultry industry, which has been negatively impacted by a bird flu outbreak that is on the verge of resurfacing.

 

-      Reuters