Agriculture - 3rd quarter of 2012

Drop in meat and milk production, increase in producer prices of animals for slaughter

In Q3 2012 the total meat production amounted to 112 525 tonnes and decreased by 6.3% compared to Q3 2011. The production of beef and pigmeat decreased by 10.1% and by 9.0%, respectively, year-on-year, while the production of poultry almost did not differ from Q3 2011 data. Milk delivery went down by 0.1% to 595 979 thousand litres. Agricultural producer prices rose for cattle for slaughter (+12.4%), for pigs (+14.1%), and for poultry (+1.6%), y-o-y, while prices of milk declined by 12.0%.

Slaughtering and meat production
In Q3 2012 the number of cattle for slaughter declined by 9.3% to 55 thous. heads, y-o-y. The drop was 18.0% for bulls for slaughter and 4.3% for cows. Shares of these categories on the total number of slaughtered cattle were 38% for bulls and 48% for cows.
The total beef and veal production amounted to 15 591 tonnes, i.e. decreased by 10.1% compared to Q3 2011.
The total number of slaughtered pigs decreased by 8.9%, y-o-y. The pigmeat production decreased by 9.0% to 58 166 tonnes.
The poultry meat production almost did not change year-on-year; it amounted 38 710 tonnes.

Results of cattle and pig breeding
In total 1 352 thous. heads of cattle (−2.0%, y-o-y), of which 551 thous. were cows (−1.7%), were kept in the Czech Republic as at 30 June 2012. Neither the total number of cattle nor the number of cows changed by more than 2.8%, y-o-y, since the middle of 2010; this finding indicates a stabilisation in this branch of animal production.
The number of pigs as at 1 August 2012 reached 1 574 thous. heads. Although there was a decrease by 5.1%, y-o-y, their number increased by 5.8% related to the results as at 31 December 2011. The number of sows rose above the level of 100 thousand again (+4.1%). The number of mated gilts went up by 9.8%, y-o-y.

Agricultural producer prices of cattle, pigs and chicken for slaughter
In Q3 2012 agricultural producer prices of cattle for slaughter went up in all categories as follows: for bulls by 11.3%, for heifers by 11.4%, for cows by 14.6%, and for calves by 5.6%, y-o-y. The average price of bulls for slaughter in S, E, and U quality classes was CZK 47.61 per kg of live weight, or CZK 84.78 per kg of carcass weight.
Agricultural producer prices of pigs for slaughter grew by 14.1%. The producers sold pigs for slaughter in S, E and U quality classes for CZK 33.38 per kg of live weight or CZK 42.90 per kg of carcass weight.
Agricultural producer prices of chicken for slaughter increased by 1.8%. The average price of chicken for slaughter in the first-quality class was CZK 22.92 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 June to August 2012 expressed in live weight showed a positive balance for cattle (16 002 tonnes) and for poultry (7 442 tonnes), and a negative balance for pigs (−944 tonnes).
Exports of live cattle (44 285 heads) were distinctly higher than imports (116 heads). Pronounced in live weight of animals, exports increased by 45.2%, y-o-y, while imports dropped by 66.4%. The total live weight of animals exported for slaughter reached 11 907 tonnes, of which the largest share (13 439 heads) was represented by bulls with average weight 604 kg. Imports came from Romania (50%) and Poland (36%). Exports were directed to Austria (37%), Hungary (21%) and to other countries with their shares under 10%.
The trade with live pigs did not change distinctly year-on-year. In total 155 842 heads (+3.3%) were imported and 51 726 heads (−0.8%) were exported. The growing trend in imports of pigs up to 50 kg continued (129.2 thous. heads with average weight 24.9 kg; +7.2%). Exports of pigs above 50 kg prevailed (42.8 thous. heads with average weight 113.0 kg), although their exports decreased by 2.8% compared with Q3 2011. The main partners in imports of pigs were Germany (35%), Denmark (34%), Slovakia (14%) and the Netherlands (13%), while exports went mainly to Slovakia (50%) and Hungary (44%).
Imports of live poultry amounted to 6 202.7 thous. heads (+2.6%) and its exports were 24 997.7 thous. heads (−1.0%). The prevailing share of the trade with live poultry was represented by the category up to 185 g, i.e. trade with one day old juveniles, predominantly chicks. There were 5 645.3 thous. heads imported and 21 994.7 thous. heads exported. Live poultry was imported mostly from Slovakia (88%) and it was exported to Germany (37%), Poland (31%), and Slovakia (26%).

External trade ¹⁾ in meat was negatively balanced in all categories; the deficit amounted to 3 029 tonnes of beef, 49 849 tonnes of pigmeat, and 16 902 tonnes of poultry meat.
Imports of beef declined to 4 870 tonnes (−24.3%), y-o-y, and its exports grew to 1 841 tonnes (+2.7%). Beef was imported especially from Poland (43%), the Netherlands (15%) and Austria (12%). Exports were directed to Slovakia (36%), Germany (22%), Poland (15%), and Austria (14%).
Imports of pigmeat accounted for 59 433 tonnes (+4.8%), while its exports were only 9 584 tonnes (−0.2%). Pigmeat was imported mainly from Germany (44%), Belgium (10%) and other countries with less than 10% shares; it was exported to Slovakia (87%).
In total 23 677 tonnes of poultry meat were imported (+12.2%), and 6 775 tonnes were exported (+12.4%). Imports came from Poland (34%), Brazil (26%) and Hungary (12%); exports went above all to Slovakia (62%).

Milk collection and agricultural producer prices of milk
In Q3 2012 dairies collected 595 979 thousand litres of milk from domestic producers. There is a decrease in comparison with Q3 2011 (−0.1%) as well as with Q2 2012 (−4.7%).
Related to high values recorded in the last year, agricultural producer prices of milk decreased by 12.0%. Producers sold milk of Q-quality class for CZK 7.30 per litre on average.

External trade in milk and milk products
External trade ¹⁾ in milk and milk products in the period from June to August 2012 showed a surplus of 177 283 tonnes. Compared to the same period of the previous year, imports of milk and milk products rose by 5.9% to 69 129 tonnes, and exports increased by 14.7% to 246 412 tonnes. An increase was recorded for exports of milk (+17.6%) and cheese and curd (+9.7%), while there was a decrease in exports of acidified milk products (−10.7%) and butter (−2.2%). Imports increased by 5.2% for milk, by 7.5% for cheese and curd, and by 10.3% for butter; while for acidified milk products it declined by 0.6%. Milk and milk products were imported from Germany (43%), Poland (22%), and Slovakia (20%); they were exported mostly to Germany (58%) and Slovakia (12%).
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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), Cattle Breeding Figures (Czech Statistical Office), Pig Breeding Figures (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 October 2012
End of data processing: 26 October 2012
Following tables: /csu/czso/livestock-slaughtering-december-2012-333zehva7r
/csu/czso/cattle-breeding-figures-2nd-half-of-2012-oh4dwcme8d
/csu/czso/pig-breeding-figures-as-at-1-august-2012-1vzgh7vkyw
http://www.czso.cz/csu/2012edicniplan.nsf/publ/700544-12- m02_2012,in Czech
Date of the next News Release publication: 30 January 2013

This press release was not edited for language.

Published: 30.10.2012
The data are valid as of the release date of the publication.