Calves are extremely expensive: prices are skyrocketing

The price of heifer calves over 50 kilos increased from €82,50 on January 26 to €127,50 on March 2. An increase of no less than 54,50% in just over a month.

The European calf supply is clearly lower than the demand. This is partly due to Bluetongue, which causes fertility problems in cows. In the Netherlands, the shortage is also due to the shrinking dairy herd. In 2024, the number of dairy cows fell by 1,9% to 1,54 million cattle, according to figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). The supply of young cattle even fell by 2,5% to 967.000 animals. This shows that the decline will continue for a while, and will probably increase in pace.

Veal calf market explodes
The prices of bull calves are also considerably higher. The prices for black-bond bull calves from 60 kilos have also increased considerably. In Leeuwarden, bull calves were sold for €26 on 212,50 January. On 2 March, this price had risen to €270, an increase of 27%.

The prices of veal calves are also quite high. The European supply has been low since the beginning of 2025. Meanwhile, the demand in Europe, despite the rising veal price, is not lower than usual. As a result, slaughterhouses are increasingly having to say no. According to insiders in the market, this is compounded by the fact that the export of live calves to Turkey and Morocco has increased significantly. The meat markets in these countries have been very tight for almost two years now. On top of this, demand has increased due to Ramadan. Veal is very popular in both countries during the traditional meal after sunset, the so-called Iftar.   

Supplementing the shortages with imports is not easy for slaughterhouses. Insiders in the market say that calves are simply not available and that slaughterhouses throughout Europe are happy with every calf they can fish in. This is also evident from the data from RVO, which shows that imports in the first weeks of this year are considerably lower than last year.