In the Trends of September 21, 2026, the Institut de l'élevage reports a slowdown in the depopulation of beef cattle on the dairy cow segment, while the culling of dairy cows is proceeding rapidly due to the fodder context. Between July 20 and September 11 (weeks 30 to 37), the slaughter of beef cows is down by 8.8% according to the weekly Normabev indicator. A modest increase of 0.4%: this is the increase in the number of beef cows in France as of August 1, 2026, according to the Institut de l'élevage. The situation is all the more paradoxical since the dairy sector continues its depopulation, with a 7% increase in slaughterhouse entries during the same period. The drop in milk prices, combined with the scarcity of forage, may be prompting farmers to adjust their herds. In July 2026 for standard milk (38 g/l of fat and 32 g/l of protein), the price was set at 439 €/1,000 liters, falling significantly below its level in July 2025 (-51 €), according to Lait Trends. The phenomenon is European. Everywhere, the price of dairy culling is decreasing due to increased slaughter in the EU and reduced demand due to heatwaves. In ten weeks, the price of the O cow has lost around 50 cents, reaching around 5.87 €/kg carcass during the week of September 7 (week 37). Interviewed by the German media SWR, slaughterhouse director Matthias Minister expects a reversal of the situation: "the animals slaughtered today will be missing in the future," he predicts, before forecasting a reversal in prices and a lower availability of dairy culling approaching Christmas. Beef cattle farmers generally make their decisions at the start of winter, when returning to the barn. The maintenance of the herd suggests that farmers currently prefer to draw on their stock rather than sell their cows. The question of depopulation seems to be at least postponed to autumn. As of September 10, 2026, the cumulative growth of permanent pastures is 39% lower than that observed at the same date during the reference period 1989-2018, according to the statistical service of the Ministry of Agriculture in its conjuncture note on the monitoring of pastures. According to a Web-agri survey, a third of farmers believe they have not harvested enough forage to get through the winter without making at least some adjustments, and the geopolitical context induces pressure on energy prices, which will inevitably affect production costs. After a particularly chaotic summer for lean meat exports, the price of young bulls is recovering thanks to demand from Italy and Spain stimulated by the return to school. On the side of large cattle, the quotations are maintained. After losing between 15 and 20 cents at the heart of summer, the quotations for beef-type cows have recovered their vigor as the return to school approaches, regaining 10 to 16 cents depending on the conformation between late July and early September. The maintenance of the cows in place may also be explained by the extent of the depopulation already underway. In ten years, the beef cattle herd has already lost 17% of its numbers. It remains to be seen whether this resistance to culling represents a true maintenance of the herd or simply a time shift in depopulation. The slaughter of the coming weeks, at the start of winter, will be particularly scrutinized. However, it must be noted that the climatic anomalies of this summer have not had an immediate impact on the availability of beef-type cows in slaughterhouses.