Cattle farmer benefits the most from expensive meat

Cattle farmers have benefited the most from the scarcity in the first three quarters of 2025, according to recent figures from Wageningen Economic Research (WUR). However, the increase at the farm gate has weakened the most during that period. The WUR tracks the increase in prices. The organization uses an index that takes 2020 as the starting point with a value of 100 points. The WUR compares farm gate prices, consumer prices, and producer prices. The data shows that farm gate prices have increased the most in the first nine months of the year. Between January and September 2025, prices rose by no less than 30% to a level of 245 points. Meanwhile, consumer prices increased by 23.5%, compared to a rise of 17.8% for producers. Since 2020, producer prices (at a level of 167.3) have increased more than consumer prices (193.5). Overall for the year, the farm gate index rose by 42.2%, compared to a 33.4% increase in the consumer index and a 28.5% rise in the producer price. However, the increase in farm gate prices has weakened more strongly in the last months. During this period, the price for producers increased the most. In the last quarter of 2025, the farm gate index only rose by 0.4%, while consumer prices increased by 1.6% and producers saw an increase of 2.2%. Thus, the picture is completely different from the first quarter. During that period, the farm gate price still rose by 16.8%. The consumer index then increased by only 3.2%, and there was a rise in the producer index of 6.5%. The main increase in consumer prices took place in the second quarter. During that period, the consumer index rose by 9.8%, compared to an increase in the producer index of 3% and a farm gate increase of 5.2%.