© Ernesto Reyes
Products
Our global farm data sets
We manage a unique global data base of typical farms and production systems for cow-calf, beef finishing and sheep. The data cover capital inputs (machines, buildings, equipment), labour organisation and input, land use, crop operations, animal numbers, their performance, feed rations, overhead and finance cost on whole-farm level as well as and variable costs on enterprise level. This allows a total returns, cost and profitability analysis. Data is updated annually and not older than 1 year.
Example charts from the Result Data Base
Watch a video about the content and functionality of the tool for the trade data.
Here you find a short written explanation how to use the tool with the trade data.
Download (pdf-Document, 120 KB)
Sector data
You look for information how livestock inventories, production and consumption in individual countries developed? You would like to know how trade volumes and values as well as key livestock prices developed? We are collecting these data though our network partners and UNComtrade for more than 30 countries. Data are updated every year and information for the majority of the countries is not older than one year (depending on data availability). Easy-to-handle tools are provided for the entire data sets of beef and sheep, respectively. Below are some illustrations from Germany and a demonstration tool for download.
Time series of inventories, production and consumption
Data are from national statistics in our partner countries and comprise inventories of total cattle, suckler-cows, cattle on feed and sheep. They are added by slaughter numbers (head and tons) as well as total consumption, per capita consumption and total exports and imports in terms of quantities and USD-values.
Example: Argentina
Time series of prices for beef and sheep
Data are from national statistic of the partner countries. They comprise prices for the most important categories of finished cattle (like bulls, steers, heifers and cows) and sheep (ewes and lambs) and prices for livestock like calves, weaners backgrounders and lambs.
Example: Germany
Watch a video about the content and functionality of the tool for the trade data.
Here you find a short written explanation how to use the tool with the trade data.
Download (pdf-Document, 118 KB)
Time series of bilateral trade
Data are form the UNComtrade data base (HSO6). Here, the trade data are broken down into bilateral trade figures. We developed own tools for the creation of data bases and display of results. Time series range from 1996 until the previous year (thus, until 2024 in the year 2025). Results are displayed by individual countries and comprise a) the TOP5 export destinations and import origins in terms of quantities (shown below), USD values and percentage composition, b) the composition of exports and imports in terms of quantities, values and percentage composition and c) for one year selected by the user, the TOP5 export destinations and import origins by product.
USA: Top 5 beef export destinations 1996-2024 (‘000 tons)
Germany: Composition of imported beef products in Germany 1996-2024 (‘000 tons)
Japan: Top 5 origins of beef imports by products 2024 (‘000 tons)
Watch a video about the content and functionality of the tool for the trade data.
Price index
The agri benchmark Global Producer Price Indices for Beef Cattle and Sheep
How did beef, sheep, lamb and livestock prices develop in the last 20 years? Our production-weighted farm gate prices are an excellent complement and extension to the well-known aggregated trade-weighted FAO meat price index.
agri benchmark Beef and Sheep Network provides a set of annual (calendar year) global Producer Price Indices for finished cattle, weaner cattle, lambs and sheep meat.
Free for download!
Infographic – Global Producer Price Indices for Beef Cattle and Sheep
Download (pdf-document, 1 MB)
The agri benchmark Global Producer Price Indices for Beef Cattle and Sheep – Update 2025
Download (pdf-document, 319 KB)
Global Producer Price Indices for Beef Cattle and Sheep
Download (xlsx, 207 KB)
You are interested in specific country and regional information? You would like to create your own mix of data? Contact us for the options:
Isam Almadani
Coverage, method and background paper
With 34 countries included for cattle and 16 for sheep, covering the vast majority of global production, the agri benchmark Global and Country Producer Price Indices a) reflect the structure of beef and sheep prices in producing countries which are not within of the main exporters such as the US, Brazil, China or Oceania.
Tailormade studies
The agri benchmark Global Producer Price Indices for Beef Cattle and Sheep
The agri benchmark Beef and Sheep network and data infrastructure are used for specific projects, and projects are used to provide new data to the network. The studies center around the topics of competitiveness, environment, animal welfare, agricultural and trade politics. Customers are (inter)national project donors and companies.
Below is a list of ongoing and finished projects.
GHG mitigation in cattle farming – how much is possible where? (03/18-08/26)
Assessing farmers’ costs of compliance with EU legislation in the fields of environment, animal welfare and food safety (EU-COM, 01/2012-12/2013)
Beef and sheep production as well as grassland use: production systems and economics (permanent)
More beef import from the US to the EU soon? (12/2012-12/2013)
Terms of Trade Crop and Beef Production (05/2011-04/2012)
Cost structures in beef production (10/2010-04/2011)
Benchmarking the Beef Supply Chain in Eastern Indonesia (ACIAR, 05/2008-10/2010)
Publications
Our publications cover annual reports, scientific papers, theses and presentations.
Please find below a selection of the most important publications.
Annual Beef and Sheep Reports
Scientific papers and publications
Betriebliche Entwicklungsstrategien für ausgewählte Rindermastbetriebe unter Berücksichtigung von Risiko
Zusammenfassung Download (only in German language, pdf-document, 37 KB)
Produktionssysteme, räumliche Verteilung und Struktur der Rindfleischproduktion in Deutschland (English title: Production systems, spatial distribution and structure of beef finishing in Germany)
Zusammenfassung Download (only in German language, pdf-document, 408 KB)
Summary Download (pdf-Document, 392 KB)
Full version Download (only in German language, pdf-document, 8 MB)
Entwicklungsstrategien für typische Rindermast- und Mutterkuhbetriebe nach Entkopplung der Direktzahlungen
(English title: Farm-level adjustment strategies of typical beef finishing and suckler-cow farms after decoupling of direct payments)
Zusammenfassung Download (only in German language, pdf-document, 430 KB)
Summary Download (pdf-document, 434 KB)
Mutterkuhhaltung in Deutschland – Status quo und Zukunftsperspektiven im europäischen Kontext (English title: Cow-calf production in Germany – status quo and perspectives in the European context)
Full version Download (only in German language, pdf-document, 3 MB)
Summary Download (pdf-document, 198 KB)
Anpassungsmöglichkeiten der deutschen Rindermast an die Liberalisierung der Agrarmärkte
Full version Download (only in German language, pdf-document, 6 MB)
Die Entwicklung des Handels mit Rindfleisch und Lebendrindern in der Europäischen Union
Full version Download (only in German language, pdf-document, 1 MB)
The Beef Supply Chain in the U.S. – Status, Development and Perspectives
Summary Download (pdf-Document, 151 KB)
Full version Download (pdf-document, 3 MB)
Die Entwicklung des Handels mit Rindfleisch und Lebendrindern in der Europäischen Union
Full version Download (only in German language, pdf-document, 1 MB)
The Beef Supply Chain in the U.S. – Status, Development and Perspectives
Full version Download (pdf-document, 3 MB)
Other publications
Please download the project brief on a recently completed project on “Implementing sustainable farming for forest conservation, while improving rural livelihoods and peace-building in Colombia”. agri benchmark was responsible for the analysis of sustainable land use trials in the Amazonian and Caribbean regions of Colombia.
(pdf-document, 1 MB)
agri benchmark contributed to the WWF-coordinated project SuLu2 Land Use Change in Savannas and Grasslands through analysing sustainable cattle ranching systems in Colombia and Paraguay together with local producers, advisors and experts.
Beef Case Study in the Flooded Savannas of Colombia
(English Version, 2020)
(pdf-document, 2 MB)
Estudio De Caso Sobre La Producción DE Ganado De Cría En Las Sabanas Inundables De Colombia
(Spanish Version, 2020)
(pdf-document, 6 MB)
Briefing Papers
Main results of the agri benchmark Beef and Sheep Network are published in our Briefing Paper Series (formerly Working Paper Series) and can be downloaded for free.
Climate change adaptation strategies in beef and sheep production – Survey and Workshop Results of the agri benchmark Beef and Sheep online Conference 2020
Briefing Paper 2020/1
(pdf-document, 13 MB)
Basing on a qualitative survey among experts of the agri benchmark Beef and Sheep network, this report paints a consistent picture of the impacts of climate change and reveals major challenges for beef and sheep production globally.
It aims to gain an overview of the nature of climate change in various countries and available measures to adapt to these impacts. Eleven farm case studies from all around the world showcase useful and transferable strategies.
Making climate change adaptation a higher priority and promoting successful pathways within and across countries can unearth much hidden potential in strategy adoption and production system adaptation.
agri benchmark fact sheet: Cattle and Sheep
(Katrin Agethen, Peter Weeks, 2020)
(pdf-document, 1 MB)
Measuring sustainability on cattle ranches
Briefing paper 2017/2
Silvopastoral systems (SPS) combine livestock production with rotational grazing using different pastures, forages, fodder shrubs and timber trees as parts of the same system. Due to the multivariate nature of livestock production systems, assessing and monitoring sustainability is a complex issue. Based on six case studies this report evaluates different aspects of sustainability at farm level through the implementation of SPS that includes different cattle ranching production systems.
English Version (pdf-document, 3 MB)
(release date 14.08.2017)
Beef production in Germany – production systems and their spatial distribution.
(Landbauforschung – vTI agriculture and forestry research, Volume 58, Issue 1+2/2008, Pages 29-44)
Download (pdf-document, 4 MB)
EU beef farming systems and CAP regulations, EAAP Technical Series No. 9. You can order this publication here.
A case study of triple wins in milk and beef production in Colombia
Download (2014, pdf-document, 841 KB)
Comprehensive analysis of intensive silvopastoral systems
Download (pdf-document, 3 MB)