Agriculture - 3rd quarter of 2015

Slaughtering and meat production
In Q3 2015 the number of slaughtered cattle was 55 695 heads, i.e. by 1.9% more than in Q3 2014. Increments were recorded for heifers (+10.2%) and cows (+2.2%) while the number of slaughtered bulls stayed on the same level (−0.2%). The total beef and veal production reached 16 330 tonnes (+2.6%).

The number of slaughtered pigs declined by 5.3%, y-o-y, to 619 134 heads, as well as in comparison with Q2 2015 (−2.9%). Increased slaughtering of sows – by 8.3% compared to Q2 2015 – signs a tendency to reduction of pig farming. The pigmeat production accounted for 55 263 tonnes (−5.0%).

Poultrymeat production amounted to 39 831 tonnes and was almost the same (+0.6%) as in Q3 2014.

Cattle and pig numbers
The number of cattle in the Czech Republic at the beginning of Q3 2015 was 1 416.1 thous. heads (by 1.4% more, y-o-y), of which 570.4 thous. heads were cows (+0.3%). An increase was recorded for beef cows (+2.9%) together with slight declines for dairy cows (−1.2%) and replacement heifers (−1.4%). The number of bulls for fattening went up (+1.9%).

The number of pigs as at 31 July 2015 dropped by 4.4% to 1 560.4 thous. heads. The number of sows stayed under the hundred thousand level (96.5 thous. heads; −4.3%). Decrements were noted also in other important categories: by 6.0% for mated gilts and by 7.1% for pigs for fattening.

Agricultural producer prices of cattle, pigs and chicken for slaughter
In Q3 2015 agricultural producer prices of cattle for slaughter went slightly up, y-o-y, in all categories: by 2.3% for bulls, by 2.7% for cows, by 4.1% for heifers, and by 5.5% for calves. The average price of bulls for slaughter was 47.15 CZK per kg of live weight or 85.82 CZK per kg of carcass weight.

Agricultural producer prices of pigs for slaughter plummeted by 15.2%, y-o-y, and rose by 3.5% compared to Q2 2015. The producers sold pigs for slaughter on average for 29.68 CZK per kg of live weight or 38.14 CZK per kg of carcass weight.

Agricultural producer prices of chicken for slaughter went slightly down (−2.1%). Their average price for the first-quality class was 23.28 CZK per kg of live weight.

 
External trade in live animals and meat
According to preliminary results, external trade¹⁾ in live animals in the period from June to August 2015 reached a positive balance in all three species: 18 190 tonnes for cattle, 4 163 tonnes for pigs, and 9 126 tonnes for poultry.

Exports of live cattle significantly exceeded imports, although imports were ninefold higher than in Q3 2014. Imports consisted of 3.8 thous. heads of cattle, mainly young animals from France. Exports included 34.0 thous. heads intended for further rearing (+41.6%, y-o-y), and 19.7 thous. heads for slaughter (+5.9%), i.e. 12 732 tonnes of cattle for slaughter of domestic origin. Austria was a traditional partner for exports of live cattle (animals for slaughter), distinct increment was recorded for exports to Turkey (animals for further rearing).

Piglets and young pigs dominated in imports of live pigs with 84.5 thous. heads (−6.3%, y-o-y) with their average weight 25.6 kg. They came from Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. Mainly pigs for slaughter were exported: in total 66.4 thous. heads (−6.3%) with average weight of 115.4 kg, i.e. 7 669 tonnes of pigs for slaughter of domestic origin, were exported mainly to Slovakia, Hungary and Germany.

In trade in day-old poultry, exports distinctly exceeded imports. In total 29 049 thous. heads (+7.5%, y-o-y), mainly intended for fattening, were exported mostly to Slovakia, Romania and Poland. On the other side, only 3 041 thous. heads (−16.7%) were imported, mainly from Germany. As concerns poultry for slaughter, exports exceeded imports as well. Exports of chicks reached 6 108 tonnes (−4.3%) and went to Germany, Slovakia and Poland, and 2 909 tonnes of live turkeys (+0.2%) were exported to Poland and Germany.

External trade¹⁾ in meat showed a negative balance for all types: −4 211 tonnes for beef, −55 965 tonnes for pigmeat, and −19 344 tonnes for poultrymeat.

Imports of beef declined, y-o-y, by 1.6% to 6 172 tonnes while its exports rose by 6.2% to 1 960 tonnes. Chilled beef shared the largest part of the trade: 4 992 tonnes (−10.7%) were imported and 1 738 tonnes (+3.4%) were exported_. Imported beef came from Poland and the Netherlands. The largest proportion of exported beef went to Slovakia.

The negative balance in of trade with pigmeat deepened, y-o-y. Imports increased to 63 607 tonnes (+4.8%) while exports declined to 7 642 tonnes (−31.8%). Imports of chilled pigmeat reached 55 794 tonnes (+9.1%) of which the highest proportion as well as the greatest increment was recorded for boneless cuts (27 251 tonnes, +35.1%).  Pigmeat was imported mainly from Germany, Spain and Poland. Exports plummeted for half-carcasses (3 591 tonnes, −20.5%) as well as for cuts (3 874 tonnes, −38.6%). Pigmeat was exported especially to Slovakia.

Both imports and exports of poultrymeat grew, year-on-year. Imports reached 27 485 tonnes (+24.1%), of which 23 860 tonnes (+27.9%) was chicken: 16 188 tonnes of cuts, 6 348 tonnes of not cut meat, and 1 324 tonnes of edible offal. Poultrymeat came mostly from Poland and Brazil. In total 8 141 tonnes (+22.4%) of poultrymeat were exported. Exports rose for chicken (+20.7%), turkey (+139.6%) and also duck meat (+28.5%). The largest amount of poultrymeat was exported to Slovakia.

 
Milk collection and agricultural producer prices of milk
In Q3 2015, dairies collected 612 411 thousand litres of milk from domestic producers. It was by 2.8% more than in Q3 2014.

The producers sold Q-quality milk on average for 7.32 CZK per litre, i.e. its price was lower by 22.6%, y-o-y, and by 10.1% lower than in Q2 2015.

 
External trade in milk and milk products
In the period from June to August 2015, the surplus in trade balance for milk and milk products went up to 205 270 tonnes. Imports rose to 70 773 tonnes (+8.4%) and exports to 276 043 tonnes (+14.2%).

Imports of milk grew by 33.2% and its exports by 18.1%. Imports of acidified milk products declined (−2.5%) while imports of cheese and curd rose (+2.8%) as well as imports of butter (+29.6%). Increases were recorded for exports of cheese and curd (+3.7%) and acidified milk products (+6.0%). Exports of butter plummeted by 58.6%. The main partners for both directions of trade were - traditionally - Germany and Slovakia, together with Poland for imports and Italy for exports.

This press release was not edited for language.