Agriculture - 1st quarter of 2013

Meat and milk production down, producer prices of animals for slaughter up

In Q1 2013 the meat production amounted to 108 651 tonnes, i.e. by 2.8% less, year-on-year. Production of all main categories was lower, y-o-y: beef (−3.5%), pigmeat (−3.1%), and poultrymeat (−1.9%). Milk collection decreased by 2.5% to 581 178 thousand litres. Agricultural producer prices increased, year-on-year, by 7.8% for cattle for slaughter, by 4.6% for pigs, and by 10.5% for poultry. On the contrary, prices of milk went down by 5.1%.

Slaughtering and meat production
In Q1 2013 the number of slaughtered cattle was 55 thousand heads and decreased by 4.4%, year-on-year. The decline in crucial categories – bulls and cows – accounted to 2.7% and 5.6%, respectively. The average live weight of bulls for slaughter was 633.2 kg and that of cows for slaughter 534.7 kg. Beef and veal production reached 16 164 tonnes (−3.5%).
The number of slaughtered pigs declined by 3.6%, y-o-y, to 651 thous. heads. The average live weight of pigs for slaughter (excluding breeding sows and boars) was 112.8 kg. The total pigmeat production amounted to 58 136 tonnes (−3.1%).
Poultrymeat production declined by 1.9%, y-o-y, to 34 281 tonnes.

Results of cattle, pig and poultry breeding
According to the last survey in cattle as at 31 December 2012, the number of cattle decreased to 1 321 thousand heads (−1.4%), y-o-y; the number of cows went down to 543 thous. heads (−2.5%), of which the number of dairy ones decreased to 367 thous. heads (−1.9%) and the number of other cows dropped to 175 thous. heads (−3.9%). Average annual milk yields were 7 432.6 litres and daily milk yields reached 20.31 litres.
The number of pigs as at 31 December 2012 increased to 1 534 thousand heads (+3.1%), of which the number of sows went up to 98 thous. heads (+1.4%). The number of fattened pigs (more than 50 kg of live weight) did not change significantly (615 thous. heads; +0.6%) compared to the last year. Number of covered gilts increased (21 thous. heads; +7.3%). Reproduction of sows retained a progressive trend; the number of weaned piglets rose to 23.9 per sow and year.
The number of poultry as at 31 December 2012 went up to 20 410 thousand heads (+6.0%), of which 4 285 thous. heads were utility laying hens (+22.2%). This considerable increase reflects reestablishment of flocks after last year’s decline caused by obligatory changes in animal welfare technologies. The average annual egg yield was 307.9 pieces per hen.

Agricultural producer prices of cattle, pigs and chicken for slaughter
In Q1 2013 agricultural producer prices of cattle for slaughter went up in all categories: by 11.3% for heifers, by 10.3% for cows, by 6.2% for bulls, and by 3.2% for calves. The average price of bulls for slaughter was CZK 46.91 per kg of live weight or CZK 85.37 per kg of carcass weight.
Agricultural producer prices of pigs for slaughter grew by 4.4%. The average price of pigs for slaughter was CZK 32.21 per kg of live weight or CZK 41.39 per kg of carcass weight.
Agricultural producer prices of chicken for slaughter increased by 11.9%. The average price of chicken for slaughter in the first-quality class was CZK 25.28 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 December 2012 to February 2013 reached a positive balance in all livestock types: 13 901 tonnes in cattle, 1 921 tonnes in pigs, and 7 380 tonnes in poultry.
Export of live cattle distinctly exceeded their import: 174 tonnes (+15.8%) were imported and 14 075 tonnes (+9.3 %) exported. Cattle for slaughter shared 72% of the total exports. Live cattle were imported mainly from Germany and the Netherlands and exported to Austria.
Imports of live pigs amounted to 4 054 tonnes (−50.3%) and their exports to 5 975 tonnes (+2.2%). The resulting positive balance was influenced by significant decline of exports of pigs having more than 50 kg of live weight, i.e. for slaughter, in combination with increased imports of purebred pigs intended for breeding. Live pigs were imported mainly from Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands; the category up to 50 kg prevailed. Exports went to Slovakia and Hungary and included mainly pigs for slaughter.
Imports of live poultry almost did not change compared to Q1 2012 (1 269 tonnes, +0.8%) while exports decreased to 8 650 tonnes (−17.0%). The trade in live poultry went in both directions with Slovakia; exports were directed also to Germany and Poland.
External trade ¹⁾ in meat was negatively balanced in all categories: −2 592 tonnes of beef, −45 688 tonnes of pigmeat and −15 146 tonnes of poultrymeat.
Imports of beef increased to 4 594 tonnes (+12.9%), y-o-y, while its exports declined to 2 002 tonnes (−4.9%). The trade went in both directions with Poland, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands; prevailing part of imports came from Poland while Slovakia shared the largest part of exports.
In total 53 874 tonnes of pigmeat (+4.0%) were imported mainly from Germany and Austria, and 8 186 tonnes (−17.8%) were exported predominantly to Slovakia. Imports of poultrymeat decreased to 21 429 tonnes (−9.5%), y-o-y, while its exports rose to 6 283 tonnes (+9.6%). Imports came from Poland and Brazil, exports went mostly to Slovakia.

Milk collection and agricultural producer prices of milk
In Q1 2013, dairies collected 581 178 thousand litres of milk from domestic producers; it was by 2.5% less than in the same period of the previous year.
Agricultural producer prices of milk went down by 5.1%, y-o-y. Average price of Q-quality milk was CZK 7.97 per litre.

External trade in milk and milk products
In external trade ¹⁾ in milk and milk products, exports exceeded imports by 151 309 tonnes. Compared to Q1 2012 imports went down by 0.5% to 59 298 tonnes and exports dropped by 1.9% to 210 606 tonnes. Imports of milk and cream increased (+8.8%) while imports decreased in yoghurt and acidified milk products (−7.9%), in cheese and curd (−1.2%), and in butter (−7.6%). On the contrary, exports of milk and cream declined (−5.9%) while they went up in yoghurt and acidified milk products (+19.7%), in cheese and curd (+30.6%) as well as in butter (+6.5%). Germany and Slovakia shared the largest proportion of the trade with milk and milk products together with Poland for imports and Italy for exports.
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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), Poultry 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: 9 April 2013
End of data processing: 26 April 2013
Following tables: http://www.czso.cz/csu/2013edicniplan.nsf/engp/2110-1 3
/csu/czso/poultry-breeding-figures-2012-2pxokkoofm
/csu/czso/cattle-breeding-figures-2nd-half-of-2012-oh4dwcme8d
/csu/czso/pig-breeding-figures-2nd-half-of-2012-ckghpj5q3b
/csu/czso/indexy-cen-zemedelskych-vyrobcu-2013-xyvpxbrgw8 , in Czech
Date of the next News Release publication: 30 July 2013

This press release was not edited for language.

Published: 30.04.2013
The data are valid as of the release date of the publication.