Rising Feed Costs Force Cattle Farmers to Scale Down

September 15, 2026 · GıdaTarım

As input costs in cattle farming soar and slaughterhouse prices lag behind, farmers are forced to operate at a loss of at least 50 TL per kilogram and reduce their herds.

According to slaughterhouse and processing plant data from 7 geographical regions across Turkey, the gap between input costs and slaughter prices in cattle farming is deepening to the detriment of producers. While lamb slaughter prices have increased by 13.9% since the beginning of the year, the rise in calf slaughter prices has remained at 0.5%. With fuel, feed, straw, and labor costs continuing to climb due to supply chain disruptions, the cost per kilogram for farmers has reached up to 640 TL. In contrast, cattle slaughter prices at processing plants range from 575 to 590 TL depending on the region, creating a negative margin of 50 to 70 TL per kilogram against the producer.

Evaluating the cost pressure in the sector, Güven Oktay, owner of Güven Hayvancılık with approximately 30 years of experience as a producer, stated that it has become impossible to ensure the continuity of businesses under current market conditions. Highlighting that slaughter prices are far below costs, Güven Oktay, owner of Güven Hayvancılık, made the following assessment:

Stating that continuously increasing input prices are forcing businesses to reduce their capacity, Güven Oktay shared that they reduced their herd size by 20%, decreasing the number of calves from 50 last year to 42 this year at their feedlot in Arnavutköy, Istanbul. Pointing to daily price hikes in feed, Güven Oktay, owner of Güven Hayvancılık, continued his remarks:

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