Beef prices in the Netherlands to shoot up by 9 percent this year

Beef is expected to become considerably more expensive this year, marketing agency DCA Market Intelligence has predicted. This is because the global supply of cattle is "exceptionally scarce,” causing cattle prices to "well exceed" previous record levels in recent weeks.

In the Netherlands, the price of slaughtered cattle is now almost 9 percent above the previous record. This brings the price of the highest quality cattle to 6.40 euros per kilo.

“This is an exceptionally strong rise in a short space of time for the usually quite stable beef market. Price increases of more than five cents per kilo are rare, but prices even increased by 25 cents a week in the last few weeks,” said Matthijs Bremer, food specialist at the research agency.

The shortage of cattle is a global problem. DCA Market Intelligence said that the drought in the United States has led to smallest total cattle herd since 1952. Neighboring countries Canada and Mexico, are also dealing with shortages.

“In the meantime, Europe is dealing with a significant decrease of beef cattle, especially in France.” A notably high number of cattle was slaughtered during the Christmas period to meet demands. This put more pressure on the already tight market.

“The prices grew at a shockingly quick rate, but there is a feeling within the market that this increase is just the beginning. “Supply is increasingly starting to falter,” Bremer concluded.

He could not say when the price increases would end. “One thing is for sure: many consumers will notice the impact on the receipts if they scan a steak or burger in the supermarket.”

Koninklijke Nederlandse Slagers (KNS), the association for Dutch butchers, also foresee price increases for beef. “Butchers are struggling with explaining why they have to raise the prices,” said a spokesperson for the organization.

KNS has not yet noticed that consumers are switching en masse from the more expensive artisanal butchers to the cheaper supermarkets for their meat. They are, however, choosing cheaper pork more often than beef.

Farmers Defence Force thinks that the price increases are connected to the fact that more farmers are quitting their jobs as a result of what they describe as a global witch hunt against the sector. “The old generation of farmers are sick of it, and the young generation no longer wants to work 80 hours and be judged,” said Mark van den Oever, chairman of the farmers' organization.

"They cash in their millions of euros and prefer to go cycling with their wives instead of working for little money and for people who don't appreciate it. This is the beginning of the exodus and the beginning of the big price increases," he added.

Steakhouse chain Loetje has said that the price increases for customers will be minimal in their restaurants despite the higher purchasing prices for the chain. "We strive to keep price changes for our guests as limited as possible. We make strict agreements with suppliers, work efficiently and do not immediately pass on every cost increase," said a spokeswoman.