Animal Production - 2nd quarter of 2026

“Meat production in the second quarter continued to grow moderately for the sixth consecutive quarter. Poultrymeat production remains the driving factor. Pigmeat and beef production was approximately the same as in the second quarter of the preceding year. However, the sector’s relative stability is linked more to the long-term nature of livestock production and the lag in response than to a direct reaction to trends in agricultural producer prices, which are currently highly volatile, ranging from a 11% increase in prices of cattle for slaughter and a 4% increase in prices of chicken for slaughter to a 19% decrease in prices of pigs slaughter and a 24% decline in milk prices,” Markéta Fiedlerová from Agricultural and Forestry Statistics Unit of the Czech Statistical Office, said.

Meat production and milk collection
In total 16 343 tonnes of beef were produced at slaughterhouses in Q2 2026 (by 0.5% less, y−o−y). It represents 52.0 thous. head of slaughtered cattle (−1.8%). Slaughtering decreased for bulls (−5,2%) and calves (−9,9%) while they rose for cows (+1.3%). Average slaughter weight of bulls increased by 26.5 kg, y-o-y, and surpassed 710 kg. Pigmeat production amounted to 54 387 tonnes, i.e. by 0.4% more, y-o-y. In total 569.2 thous. pigs were delivered to slaughterhouses (−1.9%). The trend changed due to increasing slaughter weight of fattened pigs. It reached 121.8 kg (+2.2%) in Q2 2026 while five years ago, in 2021, it amounted to 117.0 kg. Production of poultrymeat¹⁾ amounted to 48 525 tonnes, i.e. by 3.7% more, y-o-y. Poultry slaughterhouses processed 31 303 thous. head of poultry (+0.7%). In total 876 736 thous. litres of milk (+3.9%) were purchased from domestic producers by first purchasers in Q2 2026, diaries bought 736 010 thous. litres (+4.1%) for processing.

Agricultural producer prices
In Q2 2026, agricultural producer prices of cattle for slaughter were still higher, y-o-y (+10.7%), in all categories surveyed; prices of heifers for slaughter and bulls for slaughter rose the most (+14.7% and +11.9%, respectively). For bulls for slaughter, farmers received on average 86.15 CZK per kg in live weight or 156.79 CZK per kg in carcass weight. Compared to Q1 2026, it was by 4.17 CZK per kg in carcass weight less. Prices for pigs for slaughter kept their year-on-year plummet; in Q2 2026, they were by 19.0% lower. Their average price reached 29.92 CZK per kg in live weight or 38.89 CZK per kg in carcass weight, i.e. by 1.35 CZK per kg in carcass weight more than in Q1 2026. Prices of chicken for slaughter went up by 4.0%, y-o-y. Chicken for slaughter of the first quality class were sold on average for 30.29 CZK per kg in live weight. Agricultural producer prices of milk plummeted by 24.3%, y-o-y. The average price of Q‑quality milk reached 10.00 CZK per litre; it declined continually from April to June and was by 1.39 CZK per litre lower than in Q1 2026.

More detailed information on meat production in 2025 can be found in the supplementary information to the News Release on Animal production.

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¹⁾ From 2025 onwards, quarterly data on poultry meat production is available only for the following species: chickens (chicken, hens), ducks, and turkeys.