In 2017 European slaughtering has been increasing, as it was driven by new regulating restrictions (in The Netherlands, for instance) and, as well, because of a downturn in the price of milk. Yet, conversely, in 2018 livestock units to be slaughtered in Europe are bound to slow down, thus going from 27,28 million cattle units, slaughtered in 2017, down to 27,15 million units, which is the estimated amount for the year currently underway. USDA, the United States Department of Agriculture, have made public such figures while talking about prospective trends of the European livestock farming industry. However, the deciding factor still hangs on the milk and dairy situation: European red meat business is declining, but a downturn in the price of milk (which is high now) might possibly boost slaughtering again.
European meat at the mercy of milk: USDA expect slaughter drop in 2018
