Calculated using the balance-sheet method, beef consumption contracted over the first eight months of 2026 (-1,4 %) compared with the same period in 2025, driven by simultaneous declines in imports (-6,1 %) and slaughter numbers (-2,3 %), according to FranceAgriMer’s balance sheet. In mid-October, slaughterhouses painted a negative picture of the meat market beef.
Meat consumption hit by the economic climate
Wholesalers placed orders with them that were considered disappointing, as their restaurant customers, facing tighter margins, favoured less expensive meats, and household purchases were affected by the difficult economic climate and the high cost of living. Many city-centre butcher shops had also limited their orders the previous week, rightly fearing a poor Saturday because of the planned demonstrations. Restaurateurs were also markedly less active, amid month-end, school holidays and unrest in city centres. There was no rebound in orders this week, while next Saturday could be just as unsettled. It is worth noting that the hacking of supermarket refrigerators on 12 October had a greater impact on processed products than on raw products, and operators reported no large-scale restocking. The only positive note on the meat market, strong demand for beef tenderloin, whose prices are rising again. The shift to forequarter cuts is now taking place as temperatures are cooler and better suited to the season.
Prices of adult cattle fall
In this context, the weighted average price of adult cattle fell again by 3 cents last week, to 6,52 €/kg. It fell by 9 cents in 4 weeks. It has returned to a level not seen since July 2025, and is 9 % below its level a year ago.
Strong pressure on dairy cow prices
It is on dairy cow prices that the pressure is strongest. The O cow lost 9 cents last week, at 5,30 €/kg, its lowest level since April 2025. That is 19 % lower than at last year’s peak on the same date. French prices remain above other European benchmarks, except Ireland.
On live markets, increased supplies are being reported, while the shortage of forage is accentuating seasonal culling. It is worth noting that, after a period of decline, dairy cow slaughterings exceeded their level of the previous year in August (+12,3 %) and September (+6,6 %) compared with the same months of 2025, when they were lower (good forage availability and an attractive milk price the previous year).
The suckler cow prices are falling in the same way, with an R cow at 7,16 €/kg, 2 cents lower than the previous week, and down 9 cents over 4 weeks. The R cow price fell below its level last year at the end of September and stands 4% below its level for the same week in 2025. Higher-quality cows (U cows) are scarcer on the market, and their prices hold up easily.
In the first 9 months of the year, slaughtering of suckler cows fell by 10%, or 50 000 fewer head than in 2025, according to FranceAgriMer.
Male cattle prices hold up better
The young cattle prices are holding up. The price of male beef cattle excluding Blondes/Parth, 12-24 months, R3, has been stable for 3 weeks at 6,27 €/kg (13% below last year’s level). Export demand is strengthening in Italy and especially Germany, where it is rebounding, as it often does at this time of year. Nevertheless, operators consider that current supply is balanced with demand. In the first eight months of the year, French beef exports nevertheless fell by 13,3%.
