According to new figures from the Federal Economy department Belgian cattle farms have not been turning a profit for many years. The Economy Department’s study into the profitability of the country’s cattle farmers says that their financial situation has been “giving cause for concern” for several years now.
The study shows that in the years between 2012 and 2023 their income was more or less sufficient to cover costs. However, the wage the farmers pay themselves and their family is not included in the figures.
"Income just about covers production costs but is not sufficient to remunerate the farmer and their family for their work”, the study reads. This means that for more than a decade, cattle farmers have not been making money from their businesses.
The figures in the study show that although income (the amount the farmer receives when they take a cow to the abattoir for slaughter) has risen since 2019, the cost of energy, cattle feed, … has risen to the same degree and cattle farmers have nothing to show for the hours of work they put in to rearing their animals.
The figures are intended to provide greater clarity and transparency with regard to the food chain. Following last year’s protests by farmers a taskforce was set up to, amongst other things, monitor farmers' earnings and costs. The figures published on Wednesday show that the profitability of many farms is structurally low.