IrelandCattlePrice.com

Ireland Cattle Price

Real prices, reported by farmers

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EU Beef Market 2021–2025: Production, Demand & Retail Prices

IrelandCattlePrice.com Market Data  ·  June 2026  ·  Sources: European Commission, AHDB, Eurostat, IndexBox

EU beef production has fallen by roughly one million tonnes since 2021 — a structural decline driven by shrinking suckler herds, tighter margins and environmental policy. South American imports are stepping in to fill the gap, rising 13% in the first nine months of 2025.

France, Germany and Italy eat more than half of all beef consumed in the EU. Ireland punches well above its population size. Retail prices vary sharply across cuts — a fillet costs five to six times what mince does per kilogram — and Ireland sits about 28% above the EU average price index at the counter.

2024 EU production

6.25M t

▼ 2.3% vs 2023

2023 EU consumption

6.6M t

▼ 4.7% YOY

EU imports 2025

+13%

195k t Jan–Sep

Dearest cut

~€65/kg

Fillet/tenderloin

EU beef production vs consumption (million tonnes)

Production falling faster than consumption — the widening gap is filled by South American imports

Production Consumption (est.)
Production: 7.0, 6.65, 6.4, 6.25, 5.97 Mt. Consumption: 7.1, 6.9, 6.6, 6.4, 6.2 Mt.

Supply/demand gap (million tonnes)

Negative = domestic production falls short of consumption; covered by imports

Deficit (imports needed)
Gap: -0.10, -0.25, -0.20, -0.15, -0.23 Mt.

Biggest beef demand by EU country (2024, thousand tonnes)

France, Germany and Italy together account for ~55% of all EU beef consumed

Annual consumption
France 1400, Germany 1100, Italy 957, Spain 620, Poland 440, Netherlands 340, Belgium 290, Ireland 250, Austria 200, Sweden 180 kt.

Retail beef prices by cut — butcher/supermarket (€/kg, Europe avg. 2025)

Standard retail vs premium breed (Angus, Hereford). Premium Wagyu commands €150–300/kg and is off this scale.

Standard (€/kg) Premium breed (€/kg)
Fillet 65/95, Ribeye 42/75, Sirloin 38/68, T-bone 35/62, Striploin 32/58, Rump 26/45, Topside 17/28, Chuck 15/22, Brisket 14/20, Mince 11/16 €/kg.

Where beef is dearest at the shop (EU price level index, EU avg = 100)

Ireland sits ~28% above the EU average. Eastern Europe is cheapest — Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria are well below average.

Above EU average Near EU average Below EU average
Switzerland 165, Norway 155, Austria 138, Italy 133, Ireland 128, Germany 120, France 118, Sweden 115, Spain 110, Belgium 105, Poland 78, Romania 62, Hungary 55.

Sources: EU Beef Market Situation Sep 2025 (European Commission) · AHDB EU Beef Structural Declines · AHDB EU Imports Rise 13% · IndexBox EU Beef Market 2024 · MeatBorsa EU Meat Prices 2025