Agriculture - 1st quarter of 2010

Year-on-year decrease in meat production and milk collection

 
In the 1 ^st quarter 2010, 130 881 tonnes of meat were produced, i.e. by 3.6 % less than in the same period of the previous year. A decrease of production was shown in beef (by 7.4 %), pig meat (by 4.7 %), and poultry (by 0.1 % only). Milk collection amounted to 552.7 million litres, which was a decrease by 2.8 % y-o-y.

 
Slaughter and meat production
 
In the 1 ^st quarter 2010, number of cattle (including calves) for slaughter decreased y-o-y by 7.9 %, of which number of slaughtered bulls by 6.0 % and cows by 12.9 %. The average carcass weight went up by 0.6 % to 288.4 kg. Further to a trend in cattle slaughtering, beef production (including veal) went down by 7.4 % y-o-y to 17 808 tonnes.
 
Number of pigs slaughtered declined y-o-y by 5.9 %, of which number of sows by 20.5 %. The average carcass weight of pigs was 89.2 kg (by 1.2 % higher than in the 1 ^st quarter of the previous year). Pig meat production decreased y-o-y by 4.7 % to 69 347 tonnes.
 
Poultry meat production reached 43 664 tonnes and was only by 0,1 % lower than in the 1 ^st quarter of the last year.
 
Results of cattle, pig and poultry rearing
 
According to the results of animal product statistics, number of cattle decreased y-o-y by 0.2 % to 1 356 thousand heads as of December 31 ^st, 2009. Total cow number went up by 0.4 % to 556 thousand heads, of which number of dairy cows declined (by 4.0 %), whereas number of suckler cows rose (by 11.8 %). In 2009, average number of cows was 571 thousand heads in the Czech Republic. 96.5 calves were born per 100 cows, of which 88.3 calves were weaned. Average yearly milk yield increased to 6 869.9 litres (by 1.4 %).
 
Number of pigs as of December 1 ^st, 2009 dropped below the level of 2 million heads (by 10.4 % y-o-y, to 1 914 thousand). Number of sows declined by 9.1 % (to 136 thousand heads), whereas there was increased number of gilts recorded in the survey (by 6.1 % y-o-y). In 2009, number of piglets weaned went up by 1.6 % to 21.2 piglets per sow.
 
Number of poultry as of December 31 ^st, 2009 was lower by 331 thousand heads compared to the same period of the previous year (by 1.4 %). It counted for 23 954 thousand heads in total, of which number of laying hens declined by 248 thousand (by 3.9 %) to 6 103 thousand heads. Average egg yield was 290.3 pieces per hen in 2009 (by 1.9 % more than in 2008).
 
Agricultural producer prices of cattle, pigs and chicken for slaughter
 
In the 1 ^st quarter 2010, agricultural producer prices of cattle for slaughter went down y-o-y in bulls (by 0.9 %), in cows (by 3.9 %), and in heifers (by 2.6 %), whereas they went up in calves (by 5.5 %). The average price of bulls in S, E, and U quality classes reached CZK 39,45 per kg of live weight or CZK 75.62 per kg of carcass weight.
 
Agricultural producer prices of pigs for slaughter were lower by 9.1 % y-o-y. The average price of pigs for slaughter in the S, E, and U quality classes was CZK 26.42 per kg of live weight or CZK 33.58 per kg of carcass weight.
 
Similarly, agricultural producer prices of chicken for slaughter declined y-o-y (by 2.7 %). The average price of the 1 ^st-quality chicken for slaughter was CZK 20.12 per kg of live weight.
 
Foreign trade in live animals and meat
 
According to foreign trade statistics ¹⁾, balance in live animals was positive in cattle (12 079 tonnes) and poultry (5 668 tonnes), and negative in pigs (1 135 tonnes).
Import and export of live cattle reached 352 and 12 431 tonnes, respectively. Both, import and export declined y-o-y (import by 27.6 %, export by 8.7 %). A proportion of animals for slaughter counted for 94.8 % of the total import and 50.3 % of the total export. Live cattle were imported predominantly from Denmark (40 %), Germany (30 %), and France (21 %), exported mainly to Austria (49 %) and Italy (15 %).
In total, 4 787 tonnes of live pigs were imported and 3 652 tonnes were exported during the observed period. Import and export rose y-o-y by 19.2 % and 8.0 %, respectively. A proportion of pigs for slaughter counted for 52.4 % of the total import and 94.8 % of the total export. Import of live pigs came from Denmark (39 %), Germany (22 %), the Netherlands (20 %) and other countries; export predominantly went to Hungary (50 %) and Slovakia (42 %).
Import of live poultry went up by 16.0 % to 1 170 tonnes, whereas export dropped by 24.0 % to 6 839 tonnes, comparing to the same period of the previous year. Imports came mostly from Slovakia (75 %) and Germany (23 %); exports were directed to Germany (45 %), Poland (30 %) and Slovakia (19 %).
 
Negatively balanced foreign trade ¹⁾, increased import and decreased export were revealed in all types of meats. Deficits counted for ‑3 722 tonnes in beef, ‑37 055 tonnes in pig meat and -13 398 tonnes in poultry.
The largest year on year increase of import (by 25.5 % to 4 710 tonnes) and decrease of export (by 39.3 % to 988 tonnes) were in beef. It was imported mainly from Poland (38 %), Germany (25 %), Ireland (13 %), and Austria (10 %) and exported to Slovakia (34 %), Austria (34 %), and Poland (20 %).
In pig meat, the increase of import and the decrease of export counted for 17.0 and 6.0 %, respectively. In total, 45 100 tonnes were imported (of which 51 % from Germany) and 8 045 tonnes were exported (of which 90 % to Slovakia).
Import of poultry reached 18 337 tonnes and was higher by 16.0 % y-o-y, export counted for 4 939 tonnes and was by 2.8 % lower than in the same period of the previous year. The largest volume of imported poultry came from Poland (46 %), then from Brazil (13 %) and other countries. Poultry was exported to Slovakia (39 %), Germany (21 %), and Hungary (14 %).
 
Milk collection and agricultural producer prices
 
In the 1 ^st quarter 2010, volume of milk collected to dairies was 552.7 million litres. It was by 2,8 % less than in the same period of the previous year, but by 1.7 % more than in the previous quarter.
 
Average agricultural producer prices went up by 5.8 % y-o-y. Milk of the highest quality – Q-quality milk – was collected for an average price of CZK 6.91 per litre.
 
Foreign trade in milk and milk products
 
Foreign trade ¹⁾ in milk and milk products showed an active balance (123 847 tonnes); 58 616 tonnes were imported and 182 463 tonnes milk and milk products were exported. Import as well as export declined y-o-y, import by 7.8 % and export by 10.5 %. Import went down in consumer milk (by 34.1 %) and fermented or acidified milk products (by 9.6 %). Export declined in consumer milk (by 12.2 %) and rose in butter (by 6.0 %), fermented or acidified milk products (by 11.1 %), and in cheese (16.1 %). The largest amount of milk and milk products was imported from Germany (40 %) and Slovakia (25 %) and exported as well (53 % to Germany and 17 % to Slovakia).
 
Text not edited for language.
 
¹⁾ Preliminary figures for period from December 1 ^st, 2009 to February 28 ^th, 2010.
Intrastat does not include individual trading operations carried out by persons who are not registered for VAT as well reporting units below the applicable thresholds of CZK 8 million a year for both flows since January 1st, 2009 (formerly CZK 4 million for dispatch and CZK 2 million for arrival) are not under reporting duty for Intrastat.

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Methodical note:
Contact person: Jiří Hrbek, phone 27405 2331, e-mail: jiri.hrbek@czso.cz
Source: full survey carried out by the Czech Statistical Office, Agricultural Producer Price Indices in March2009 (CZSO).
Milk collection and purchase of poultry – survey conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Date of completing data collection: April 10 ^th , 2010
Date of completing data processing: April 27 ^th , 2010
Published data are final with the exception of foreign trade data.
Following tables: http://www.czso.cz/csu/czso/katalog-produktu

Published: 29.04.2010
The data are valid as of the release date of the publication.