Global beef supply is expected to decline in 2025

UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS — The first reduction in global beef supply since the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to occur in 2025 due to shrinking herds in the world’s four largest beef producing countries, according to RaboResearch’s latest quarterly global beef report. The shift in supply could disrupt trade flows throughout the new year, the report noted. Rabobank estimates supply will decline by 500,000 tonnes compared with last year, or 1%. The main countries to experience production declines are Brazil and the United States, but reductions are also expected in China, Europe and New Zealand. Australia could be the only country among the top 10 beef producers to record year-over-year increases in 2025. While North American cattle prices have been high for almost two years as a result of lower cattle numbers and strong consumer demand, cattle prices in other regions have been low. This trend has begun to change as global beef declines begin to strengthen cattle prices in South ...