Beef output and retail consumption expected to return to 2012 levels

European beef outputs and retail consumption are both expected to return to similar levels to 2012, according to one Bord Bia analyst.

Recovery is predicted for the EU’s strongest economies, the EU15 — Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Britain. The news is mixed for other EU member states.

“Beef output in the EU15 fell by over 4% to 6.6 million tonnes in 2013, driven by declines in countries such as Italy, Germany, France and the UK,” Bord Bia business analyst Eoin Kelly stated. “These declines are set to be reversed this year with a recovery in supply forecast for the EU15, bringing output back toward the levels seen in 2012. This increase is expected to be aided by a 6% rise in Irish output, while further recovery in production is also expected in Belgium and the Netherlands, where a rise of over 8% is forecast for both countries.”