Agriculture - 1st quarter of 2019

In Q1 2019, the total meat production kept the same level compared to Q1 2018 and amounted to 108 674 tonnes (−0.1%), of which 18 456 tonnes (+6.0%) was beef, 50 496 tonnes (−2.8%) was pigmeat and 39 685 tonnes (+1.1%) was poultrymeat. Agricultural producer prices of cattle for slaughter declined y-o-y by 3.3%, prices of pigs for slaughter by 2.6% and prices of chicken for slaughter by 0.8%. The milk collection reached 741.5 mil. litres (+0.6%, y-o-y). The producers sold milk on average for 9.11 CZK per litre. Agricultural producer prices of milk were almost at the same level as in Q1 2018 (+0.2%).

Slaughtering and meat production
In Q1 2019 there were 59.9 thous. head of cattle slaughtered in abattoirs, i.e. by 4.9% more, y−o−y; of which 24.6 thous. head were bulls (+8.3%), 26.6 thous. head were cows (+1.7%) and 6.7 thous. head were heifers (+14.3%). Production of beef amounted to 18 456 tonnes (+6.0%).

Slaughtering of pigs in Q1 2019 (542.5 thous. head) decreased by 3.6%, y-o-y. Pigmeat production reached 50 496 tonnes (−2.8%). The average live weight of slaughtered pigs was 118.6 kg, i.e. by 1.1 kg higher than in Q1 2018.

Poultrymeat production in Q1 2019 slightly grew, y-o-y, to 39 685 tonnes (+1.1%).

Cattle, pig, and poultry numbers
The number of cattle in the Czech Republic at the beginning of Q1 2019 was 1 365.2 thous. head; i.e. by 0.1% less, y-o-y. Similarly stable numbers were recorded for all age and purpose categories, with the exception for mated heifers (+3.6%) and for beef cows (+2.8%), whereas the number of dairy cows continued to slight decrease (−1.9%).

Although the number of pigs slightly declined, y-o-y, to 1 507.6 thous. head (−1.6%) with the deepest drop recorded in the category of breeding pigs (−2.2%), of which the number of sows fell (−5.1%) to 89.5 thous. head, the number of gilts went up by 4.9% (to 43.8 thous. head) and number of mated gilts even by 7.8%. The number of pigs for fattening reached 586.2 thous. head (+2.7%).

The number of poultry at the beginning of Q1 2019 jumped, y-o-y, by 15.6% to 25 371.3 thous. head; the number of laying hens went up to 5 222.4 thous. head (+5.2%).

Agricultural producer prices of cattle, pigs and chicken for slaughter
Agricultural producer prices of cattle for slaughter in Q1 2019 went slightly down, y-o-y (−3.3%), with the decline ranging from −4.7% for calves for slaughter to −2.8% for bulls for slaughter. The average price of bulls for slaughter was 46.57 CZK per kg in live weight or 84.75 CZK per kg in slaughter weight; i.e. by 0.67 CZK per kg in slaughter weight higher than in Q4 2018.

The prices of pigs for slaughter in Q1 2019 declined by 2.6% and reached the average price of 26.82 CZK per kg in live weight or 34.86 CZK per kg in slaughter weight. The year-on-year slight decline, however, confirms that the constant downward trend in prices of pigs for slaughter has lasted already for more than a year. Compared to Q4 2018, the prices in slaughter weight fell by further 0.49 CZK per kg.

The prices of chicken for slaughter slightly decreased, y-o-y (−0.8%). The producers sold chicken for slaughter of the first quality class on average for 23.09 CZK per kg in live weight.

External trade in live animals and meat
According to preliminary results, the external trade^[1]) in live animals in weight units in the period from December 2018 to February 2019 reached a positive balance for live animals (18 494 tonnes for cattle, 7 115 tonnes for pigs and 9 910 tonnes for poultry) but negative balance for meat (−5 754 tonnes for beef, −60 747 tonnes for pigmeat and −22 501 tonnes for poultrymeat).

Imports of live cattle (0.9 thous. head) were, compared to exports (55.6 thous. head), steadily negligible in the considered period. Exports of animals for further rearing rose to 37.1 thous. head; it was recorded especially in the category of young cattle and calves, where the export jumped y-o-y to 18.7 thous. head of calves (+3.4%) and 13.6 thous. head of young cattle (+14.7%). Calves were exported to Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands, young cattle to Turkey, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary. Exports of animals for slaughter reached 18.5 thous. head (+0.5%),  which represent 6 563 tonnes of beef; i.e. more than monthly beef production in the Czech Republic. Animals for slaughter were exported mainly to Austria and Germany.

External trade¹⁾ with live pigs noticed a year-on-year decline in turnover. Both, imports as well as exports dropped significantly: Imports to 32.5 thous. head (−18.3%) and exports to 90.4 thous. head (−19.5%). Export of piglets kept unchanged (29,6 thous. head; +0.9%) and reached almost equal balance (imported piglets: 31,7 thous. head; −17.8%). Piglets came exclusively from Germany and Denmark and were sold to Hungary, Slovakia and Germany. Exports of pigs for slaughter dropped by one quarter to 59.9 thous. head (7 139 tonnes in live weight). Pigs for slaughter were exported to Slovakia, Germany and Hungary.

The surplus in external trade¹⁾ with live poultry decreased y-o-y in the category of day-old chicks. On the contrary, it increased slightly in the category of chicken and hens for slaughter. These results were mostly due to a fall in exports of day-old chicken (to 21.4 million head; −9.1%) and a drop in imports of chicken and hens for slaughter (to just 453 tonnes; −27.3%). Live poultry was primarily imported from Germany, Slovakia and Hungary and exported mainly to Poland, Slovakia and Germany; as for day-old juveniles are concerned, also to Romania.

Beef import went slightly down to 8 764 tonnes (−2.4%) and export rose to 3 010 tonnes (+17.7%). Imported beef came mainly from Poland, the Netherlands and Germany. It was mainly exported to Slovakia, but also to the Netherlands, Poland and Austria.

The negative balance of external trade¹⁾ in pigmeat deepened again, y-o-y, due to higher imports and lower exports. 67 020 tonnes (+3.3%) of pigmeat were imported, mainly from Germany, Spain and also from Poland, while only 6 274 tonnes (−8.8%) were exported, the vast majority of it to Slovakia.

In the considered period, 27 123 tonnes of poultrymeat were imported, i.e. by 5.5% less y-o-y, and 4 622 tonnes were exported (by 9.4% less). The deficit in external trade with poultrymeat was hereby slightly reduced. The largest shares in import were recorded for Poland, Slovakia, Germany and Austria.

Milk collection and agricultural producer prices of milk
In Q1 2019, in total 741 452 thous. litres of milk (+0.6%) were collected from domestic producers, of which 627 509 thous. litres (−0.3%) by dairies.

Agricultural producer prices of milk kept stable y-o-y (+0,2%). The producers sold Q-quality milk on average for 9.11 CZK per litre, i.e. by 0.35 CZK per litre more than in Q4 2018.

External trade in milk and milk products
In the considered period, 57.6 thous. tonnes (+1.1%) of milk and milk products were imported, while 251.4 thous. tonnes (−1.1%) were exported. A significant surplus of foreign trade¹⁾ in milk and milk products slightly decreased, y-o-y, mainly due to reduced exports of milk and cream (−1.9%), which represent the most important commodities of external trade.

The deficit in external trade with cheese and curd also deepened (to 9 876 tonnes). On the contrary, the surplus in trade with acidified milk products increased (to 5 115 tonnes). A significant increase in turnover (to 11 280 imported tonnes and 12 974 exported tonnes) was recorded for whey. The main trade partners for milk and milk products were Germany and Slovakia (in both directions), 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.

Text was not edited for language.