Following a summer marked by drought and limited forage availability, Interbev, an organization representing the livestock and meat industry, has analyzed data on cattle slaughter. According to the organization, there is no current evidence of a significant increase in cattle being sent to slaughterhouses nationwide. In a report published on October 5, Interbev emphasized the importance of differentiating between the challenges farmers faced with forage supply and the resulting effects on cattle numbers. The total number of large cattle slaughtered in the first nine months of the year is down by 3.9% compared to the same period in 2025. Slaughter of mixed and dairy cows has remained largely unchanged (-0.2%), while the number of beef cows slaughtered has dropped sharply by 9.2%. Interbev notes that these figures do not yet suggest a large-scale reduction in cattle numbers linked to the summer's weather conditions. Emmanuel Bernard, president of Interbev's cattle section, explained that there was a notable increase in the slaughter of dairy cows in July and August, with a rise of 12.5% and 10.6%, respectively. He attributed this to delayed calving caused by heatwave conditions and the current state of the dairy market. Some regions, where farmers rely heavily on grass as feed, were particularly impacted by the heat in July. Interbev urges caution, noting that the effects of the drought may not be immediately apparent. Farmers are now beginning to harvest forage for the winter, which could lead to feed shortages early in 2027. The drought might also threaten the small increase in the beef cattle population (+0.1%) observed this summer, which follows a decade of declining numbers. Interbev adds that the decisions farmers make will depend on the support measures introduced by government authorities.