The Belgian cattle herd saw a decrease of 1.8% in May 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, with a total of 1.15 million head of cattle. This decline was primarily due to a reduction in the number of suckler and dairy cows, by 2.7% and 1.1% respectively. Despite favourable milk prices, challenges such as the bluetongue virus and European environmental and nature legislation have negatively impacted the cattle industry. Furthermore, the number of breeding heifers also saw a decrease, indicating a likely continued decline in the size of the cattle herd in the near future.