Agriculture - 2nd quarter of 2012

Meat production down, milk delivery up

In Q2 2012 the total meat production amounted to 115 113 tonnes (-6.8%), of which 16 379 tonnes (-9.1%) were beef and veal, 59 849 tonnes (-11.1%) were pigmeat, and 38 823 tonnes (+1.9%) were poultry meat. Agricultural producer prices of animals for slaughter went up by 9.5% in cattle, by 15.3% in pigs, and by 1.4% in chicken. Dairies collected 625 072 thousand litres of milk (+7.3%); agricultural producer prices of milk went down by 4.2%.

Slaughtering and meat production
In Q2 2012 the number of slaughtered cattle went down by 9.2%, y-o-y, to 56.1 thousand heads. The number of slaughtered bulls and calves plummeted most of all categories (by 17.0% and 17.2%, respectively). This situation was preceded by the decreased number of fattened bulls at the end of 2011 and the high number of calves exported in the last period. The total beef and veal production reached 16 379 tonnes (-9.1%).
The number of slaughtered pigs decreased by 11.2%, y-o-y, to 678.2 thousand heads; this is in accordance with a decline of the total number of live pigs. The fallen number of slaughtered sows (-33.2%) is positive for a further progress in pig production. The total pigmeat production was 59 849 tonnes (-11.1%).
Poultry meat production slightly increased to 38 823 tonnes it was by 1.9% more than in the Q2 2011.

Results of cattle, pig and poultry breeding
According to the livestock survey as at 1 April 2012, the number of cattle (1 353.7 thousand heads) stayed at the same level as in the previous year (+0.7%). No substantial changes were identified in detailed categories. The number of cows accounted for 551.2 thousand heads (-0.1%), of which 373.1 thousand heads (-0.2%) were dairy cows and 178.1 thousand heads (+0.2%) were suckler ones.
The number of pigs proceeded with decline to 1 578.8 thousand heads (-9.7%). The decrease was identified in pigs for fattening (-12.6%), nevertheless the number of breeding pigs went up by 9.0%, y-o-y. Although number of sows plummeted even to 100.2 thousand heads (-10.9%), the number of gilts, particularly cowered ones, soared (+58.0%).
The number of poultry slightly decreased to 20 691.3 thousand heads (-2.6%), of which the number of hens fell considerably to 5 354.6 thousand heads (-12.8%) as well as the number other species: turkeys (-12.3%), ducks (-13.8%), and geese (-19.5%). On the other hand, the number of chicken increased to 11 824.1 thousand heads (+4.5%).

Agricultural producer prices of cattle, pigs and chicken for slaughter
In Q2 2012 agricultural producer prices of cattle for slaughter went up in all categories as follows: for bulls by 6.9%, for heifers by 10.8%, for cows by 14.0%, and for calves 0.3%. The average price of bulls for slaughter in S, E, and U quality classes was CZK 45.96 per kg of live weight or CZK 84.01 per kg of carcass weight.
Agricultural producer prices of pigs for slaughter grew by 15.3%. The producers sold pigs for slaughter in S, E and U quality classes for CZK 32.40 per kg of live weight or CZK 41.76 per kg of carcass weight.
Agricultural producer prices of chicken for slaughter increased by 1.4%. The average price of chicken for slaughter in the first-quality class was CZK 22.51 per kg of live weight.

External trade in live animals and meat
According to preliminary results, external trade ¹⁾ in live animals in the period from March to May 2012 reached a positive balance in live weight for cattle (13 331 tonnes) and poultry (7 152 tonnes), and a negative balance for pigs (-3 994 tonnes).
Exports of live cattle (13 428 tonnes) substantially exceeded imports (97 tonnes). Exports went up by 25.0%, whereas imports went down by 59.3%. Most of exported live cattle (21.0 thousand heads in the average weight of 162.2kg) were young animals intended for further rearing. Imports came from Germany (57%), Slovakia (25%) and Austria (16%); exports went to Austria (49%) and to other countries (less than 10% for each).
In the trade in live pigs there was an opposite situation. Their imports amounted to 7 916 tonnes and were increased by 44.3%, y-o-y; exports reached 3 922 tonnes and were decreased by 40.9%. Imports were predominantly comprised of pigs up to 50 kg of weight (118.4 thousand heads in the average weight of 26.8kg), whereas exports included mainly pigs over 50 kg of weight (30.2 thousand heads in the average weight of 114.5kg). Live pigs were imported from Germany (32%), Denmark (29%), Slovakia (16%), and the Netherlands (12%); exports went to Hungary (46%) and Slovakia (42%).
Imports of live poultry amounted to 1 394 tonnes (+30.4%) and their exports 8 546 tonnes (-22.8%). A substantial part of trade was done in the category chicks up to 185 g, i.e. one day old chicks. Their imports and exports accounted for 4 874 thousand heads and 21 833 thousand heads, respectively. Most of live poultry was imported from Slovakia (90%); exports were directed to Germany (40%), Slovakia (28%), and Poland (26%).

External trade ¹⁾ in meat was negatively balanced in all meat categories: -2 784 tonnes of beef, -47 588 tonnes of pigmeat and -16 278 tonnes of poultry meat.
Imports of beef reached 4 709 tonnes (-26.0%), exports amounted to 1 925 tonnes (+0.4%). Beef was imported from Poland (41%), the Netherlands (15%), Germany (13%), and Austria (11%). It was exported to Slovakia (34%), Germany (27%), Austria (13%), and Poland (12%).
Imports of pigmeat reached 56 653 tonnes (+8.3%) and exports were 9 065 tonnes (-6.8%). Majority of pigmeat was imported from Germany (43%) and from other countries (less than 10% for each), and exported to Slovakia (86%) and Germany (11%).
Imports of poultry decreased to 24 061 tonnes (-2.6%), while exports grew to 7 783 tonnes (+5.9%). Imports came from Poland (41%), Brazil (25%), and Germany (10%); exports went mainly to Slovakia (57%) and the Netherlands (14%).

Milk collection and agricultural producer prices of milk
In Q2 2012, dairies collected 625 072 thousand litres of milk from domestic producers. It was by 7.3% more than in the same period of the previous year.
Agricultural producer prices of went down by 4.2%, y-o-y. The average price of Q-quality milk was CZK 7.92 per litre.

External trade in milk and milk products
External trade ¹⁾ in milk and milk products showed a surplus of 139 819 tonnes in the period from March to May 2012. Compared to the same period of the previous year, imports of milk and milk products rose by 12 978 tonnes (+71.1%) and exports increased by 9 697 tonnes (+6.1%). Imports of acidified milk products went up (+7.5%) as well as imports of butter (+34.1%), whereas their exports went down by 9.5% in acidified milk products and 32.0% in butter. Both imports and exports of cheese and curd rose alike: by 9.1% for imports (+1 676 tonnes) and by 9.7% for exports (+876 tonnes). Milk and milk products were imported mainly from Germany (42%), Slovakia (25%), and Poland (17%), their exports went to Germany (55%) and Slovakia (15%).
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¹⁾ Intrastat does not include individual trading operations carried out by persons who are not registered for VAT as well as reporting units below the applicable thresholds of CZK 8 million a year for both flows are not under reporting duty for Intrastat.


Notes:
Published data are final, except external trade data.
Contact person: Jiří Hrbek, phone 27405 2331, e-mail: jiri.hrbek@czso.cz
Source: Livestock Slaughtering (Czech Statistical Office), Agricultural Producer Price Indices (Czech Statistical Office), External Trade Database (Czech Statistical Office), data on milk collection and poultry purchase (Ministry of Agriculture)
End of data collection: 10 July 2012
End of data processing: 26 July 2012
Following t ables: /csu/czso/livestock-slaughtering-december-2012-333zehva7r
/csu/czso/indexy-cen-zemedelskych-vyrobcu-2012-bdaxpy9uid ,in Czech
/csu/czso/livestock-survey-142012-tjolwyh0a0
Date of the next News Release publication: 30 October 2012

This press release was not edited for language.

Published: 30.07.2012
The data are valid as of the release date of the publication.