Eurostat predicts a drop in cattle production in the second half of 2026 by 4.2 percent to 11.4 million head, with a marginal decline in France and Germany. The biggest decline is expected to affect small ruminants: sheep production is expected to fall by 17.8 percent, and goat production by 17.1 percent, particularly sharply in Spain. The pig herd is expected to be an exception: in the fourth quarter of 2026, pig production in the EU is expected to increase by 3.2 percent, with Spain being the leader in growth. It is predicted that cattle production in the second half of 2026 will drop by 4.2 percent year-on-year to 11.4 million head. France, the largest cattle producer in the EU, is expected to account for 23.1 percent of the cattle population, with a marginal decline in production of only -0.4 percent to 2.63 million head. Germany will also see a small decline (-0.6 percent to 1.7 million head), while Ireland will see a larger decline of 5.2 percent to 0.9 million head. Spain is the only major cattle producer expected to see an increase in production by 2.7 percent to 1.1 million head.