At 6,58 €/kg, the weighted average price of adult cattle published by FranceAgriMer fell by 1 centime in week 40. It has changed little since mid-August but is 7,6 % below its level on the same date last year.
Also read: Drought: “no massive destocking phenomenon,” according to Interbev
Prices for beef cows and young beef cattle hold firm, with greater pressure on dairy cows
In suckler cows, the trend is stable. Supplies remain limited and prices are holding steady, with even some premiums for the higher grades, which are fairly scarce. The R-grade cow is 2,4 % below its level at the same time last year. In dairy cows, the market is more subdued, with more animals marketed this summer. Prices have edged down by a few cents over the past five weeks. The O-grade dairy cow is nevertheless 17 % below its level on the same date last year. In young beef cattle, the market is also steady, with firm prices since early August, when they stopped falling. The R-grade young beef animal is currently 12 % below its level last year.
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Read also: Drought: “The priority for livestock farmers will be to keep the pregnant cows; we need calves!”
Prices for store cattle under pressure
The male Charolais store cattle price quotation (6-12 months, 300 kg) fell below 5 €/kg in July. This was the first time since early 2025. It then firmed up but has been trending down again since mid-September. Speaking to Agra Presse, Sophie Villanova, director of the Fédération des marchés de bétail vif (FMBV), said that in week 38, 800 feeder cattle were presented at the markets, twice as many as the previous week. In week 40, there were 7 589. According to the FMBV, this influx was linked to the drought and to delays in calving due to vector-borne diseases in 2024, which Emmanuel Bernard of Interbev confirmed. For the FNB, “Store cattle prices are still facing completely unjustified pressure.” The union reports live exports for weeks 36 to 40, up 3% year on year to Italy and 16% to Spain.
