In Türkiye, red meat production in 2024 fell by 278,000 tons compared to the previous year. The sharpest decline occurred in goat meat production.

According to provisional data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT), total red meat production in 2024 decreased by 11.7%, reaching 2,105,895 tons. In 2023, this figure was 2,384,047.

The largest production category, beef, dropped by 11.7%, falling to 1,483,000 tons. In small livestock, sheep meat decreased by 10.5% to 509,000 tons, while goat meat saw a sharp decline of 22.8%, reaching around 100,000 tons. Buffalo meat production also dropped by 10.4%, amounting to approximately 14,000 tons.

According to official data published on TURKSTAT’s website on May 2, beef continued to lead among meat types, accounting for 70.4% of total production. Sheep meat represented 24.2%, goat meat 4.7%, and buffalo meat 0.7%.

The official data reveals that for the first time since 2020, the increasing trend in red meat production has reversed. Experts suggest that the decline is due to input costs and issues related to livestock numbers. Additionally, meat imports could pose a disadvantage for domestic producers in the long-term.