Ireland was the only country to increase meat production in the first four months of the year.

According to an analysis conducted by the Council for the Development of Agriculture and Horticulture, the number of livestock killed in the EU in the first months of the year decreased by 1% and amounted to 8.6 million heads.

“Despite the fact that Ireland recorded a significant increase in livestock over the year, this was not enough to offset the slowdown in Poland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The weight of carcasses per year by April averaged 298 kg per head for the EU, which is almost 3 kg more than the same period last year. Some countries recorded an increase in carcass weight up to 38 kg per year. ”Explains Felicity Rusk, AHDB analyst.

Higher average carcass weights almost offset the decrease in slaughter rates. In the first four months of this year, beef production in the EU reached 2.6 million tons, a slight decrease (-0.2%) compared to the same period last year. Although production in April grew by 3% year on year, this was not enough to compensate for the decline in production by 5% in March.

It is expected that the drought and extreme heat that has been felt on the continent since the end of June will have a serious impact on beef production. According to Rabobank, an increase in slaughter was noted in Northern Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Poland.

It is expected that feed prices will rise, producers' profitability may be under pressure, which may lead to the appearance of additional livestock. Experts predict that due to dry weather, beef production in the EU will remain high over the next few months.