Analysis Milk
Cattle prices rise again with Christmas in sight
After a brief period of decline, Dutch cattle prices have risen again. This means the Dutch market is moving differently than its neighboring countries. Notably, the beef supply is very robust, indicating that demand for beef is strong again with Christmas approaching.
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After the seasonal peak last summer, Dutch beef prices were under pressure for several weeks. The supply of cattle in the Netherlands has increased noticeably compared to the previous period. Dairy farmers are choosing to slaughter more cows now that milk prices are weakening and concerns are mounting about insufficient phosphate rights for this year's expected production.
However, that price pressure has now subsided. A small increase of 5 cents is visible in the Dutch Livestock & Logistics quotation. The organization now lists a price of €5,85 per kilo for O-quality cattle. U-quality is currently trading at €7,05 per kilo.
Meanwhile, the price in Germany remains stable. For example, the price of young bulls (Jung Bulls) has remained unchanged since mid-August at €7,00 per kilo for R-quality. However, the sharp decline in the price of dairy cows in Germany has now come to an end. After a drop from €5,90 to €5,70 per kilo, O-quality now also remains stable. {{dataviewSnapshot(52_1763538688)}}
Holidays bring new momentum
Preparations for the holiday season are slowly taking shape, and demand for premium beef products is starting to rise. Earlier this week, a prelude to the Dutch increase was already visible. Prices for cull cattle at the Leeuwarden cattle market had already risen last week. This week, there was another increase, this time by 8 cents instead of 5 cents.
What's particularly striking is that prices are rising again, while the number of slaughters remains quite high. There has, however, been a slight decrease. In week 45, the number of slaughters decreased from 12.395 to 12.180. For the time being, this means the number of slaughters remains well above the average level for 2025. Specifically, the number of slaughters in week 45 (excluding the very low number in week 1) is 19,7% above the average level for 2025. The slaughter rate is also 9,1% above the 5-year average. Given the rising prices, there's really only one logical conclusion. Partly due to the initial preparations for the Christmas holidays, demand has once again proven stronger than expected. The question is whether this will continue after Christmas.