Agriculture - 3rd quarter of 2018

In Q3 2018 the meat production amounted to 109 363 tonnes (+2.0%, year-on-year); it consisted of 17 225 tonnes of beef (+8.3%), 50 792 tonnes of pigmeat (−0.1%), and 41 283 tonnes of poultrymeat (+2.1%). Prices of animals for slaughter were lower, y-o-y: only negligibly for cattle (−0.5%) and slightly for chicken (−2.2%) but distinctly for pigs (−19.7%). Pigs for slaughter were sold for 35.78 CZK per kg of carcass weight. Dairies and collection centres purchased 739 388 thousand litres of milk from producers. Farmers sold milk on average for 8.23 CZK per litre (−3.2%).
 

Slaughtering and meat production

In Q3 2018 the number of slaughtered cattle was 57.4 thous. head, i.e. by 6.6% more, y-o-y; of which 22.3 thous. were bulls (+3.0%), 27.2 thous. were cows (+9.8%), and 5.7 thous. were heifers (+14.3%). The total beef production reached 17 225 tonnes (+8.3%). The year-on-year increase of the production was caused also by the weight of slaughtered animals which was on average by 9.4 kg per head higher.
The number of slaughtered pigs (560.6 thous. head) declined again, y-o-y (−1.1%); increased slaughtering of sows since the beginning of the year (+8.1%) can be considered a negative phenomenon.  The pigmeat production amounted to 50 792 tonnes (−0.1%). Lower number of slaughtered pigs was compensated by their higher weight (115.2 kg per head for pigs for slaughter except sows).
Poultrymeat production reached 41 283 tonnes and was by 2.1% higher than in Q3 2017.
 

Cattle and pig numbers

According to the results of the Cattle Production Survey, the number of cattle at the beginning of Q3 2018 in the Czech Republic was 1 434.2 thous. head (+1.0%). A moderate year-on-year decline occurred in the category of animals up to 1 year old (−1.4%) while the number of bulls for fattening and of mated heifers went slightly up (+4.1% and +2.3%, respectively). Stable trends persisted in numbers of cows: a slight decrease in dairy ones (−0.9%) and a moderate increase in beef ones (+1.8%).
The number of pigs almost did not change, y-o-y (1 557.4 thous. head, −0.4%). The number of piglets up to 20 kg was only by 0.5% lower but the number of pigs for fattening declined by 2.8%. A more noticeable decrease was observed in the weight category of 50 to 80 kg. As concerns pigs for breeding, the number of gilts went up (+4.1%).
 

Agricultural producer prices of cattle, pigs and chicken for slaughter

Agricultural producer prices of cattle for slaughter almost in Q3 2018 did not change (−0.5%). A negligible decline by 0.8% was recorded for bulls and calves for slaughter. Heifers for slaughter were sold for the same price as in Q3 2017 and prices of cows for slaughter were only by 0.1% higher. The average price of bulls for slaughter was 47.38 CZK per kg of live weight or 86.22 CZK per kg of carcass weight. 
Agricultural producer prices of pigs for slaughter in Q3 2018 remained deeply below the Q3 2017 level (−19.7%) and reached on average 27.52 CZK per kg of live weight or 35.78 CZK per kg of carcass weight. Compared to Q2 2018, the average price in carcass weight rose by 0.70 CZK per kg.
Agricultural producer prices of chicken for slaughter slightly declined, y-o-y (−2.2%). The average price of chicken for slaughter of the first quality class was 22.64 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 2018, the number of exported live animals exceeded the number of imported ones. Imports of live cattle (1.0 thous. head) remained persistently negligible compared to their exports (51.2 thous. head). Among exported animals, those for further rearing prevailed (32.3 thous. head), especially ones up to 300 kg; their exports rose by 2.4%, y-o-y. Calves were exported mainly to Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands; young cattle to Turkey, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary and Austria. The number of animals for slaughter exported was 18.9 thous. head (+2.7%); it represents 12 294 tonnes in live weight of fattened animals, i.e. more than average monthly beef production in the Czech Republic. Cattle for slaughter were exported especially to Austria and Germany.
External trade¹⁾ in live pigs recorded significant year-on-year changes which led to its increased surplus. Significantly decreased imports and increased exports were observed in both main categories, i.e. piglets and pigs for slaughter. The trade in piglets included 42.0 thous. head (−11.5%) of imported animals and 30.2 thous. head (+71.0%) of exported ones in their average weight of 26.0 kg together for both directions. Piglets were traditionally imported from Germany and Denmark and exported to Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Germany. Pigs for slaughter were not imported but, on the contrary, their exports rose to 69.0 thous. head and 7 995 tonnes of live weight (+24.7%), i.e. approximately the equivalent of one third of the monthly pigmeat production in the Czech Republic. These pigs were exported to Slovakia, Hungary and Germany.
External trade¹⁾ in live poultry showed a positive balance both in day-old juveniles and poultry for slaughter. Imports of day-old chicks went down by one third, y-o-y (to 2.2 million head) while their exports rose by 13.8% to 28.5 million head. Day-old broilers were exported mainly to Slovakia and Romania, chicks of laying type to Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. Exports of chicks for slaughter showed a y-o-y decline by 29.2% to 3 487 tonnes; they were directed mostly to Slovakia. Imports were insignificant in this category.

External trade¹⁾ in meat showed a slightly reduced negative balance for beef but a moderately deepened one for pigmeat and poultrymeat.
Imports of beef went slightly down to 9 550 tonnes (−2.0%) and its exports increased to 2 849 tonnes (+16.5%). Beef was imported especially from Poland, Germany and the Netherlands; it was exported mainly to Slovakia but also to the Netherlands and to Poland.
External trade ¹⁾ in pigmeat recorded a deepened negative balance which was influenced mainly by distinctly lower exports. In total 66 670 tonnes (+0.7%) were imported, mainly from Germany, Spain and also Poland; and only 6 401 tonnes (−22.5%) were exported, prevailingly to Slovakia.
Increased year-on-year deficit in external trade with poultrymeat was caused by slightly higher imports and lower exports. During the reference period, in total 26 735 tonnes (+3.3%) were imported, mostly from Poland, and 5 066 tonnes (−5.6%) were exported, mainly to Slovakia, Germany and Austria.
 

Milk collection and agricultural producer prices of milk

In Q3 2018, 739 388 thous. litres of milk were collected (+1.1%) from domestic producers, of which 632 341 thous. litres (+0.9%) by dairies. 
Agricultural producer prices of milk were by 3.2% lower, y-o-y. The producers sold Q-quality milk on average for 8.23 CZK per litre, i.e. by 0.17 CZK per litre less than in Q2 2018.
 

External trade in milk and milk products

The distinct surplus in external trade¹⁾ in milk and milk products increased, y-o-y, to 220 014 tonnes. Both imports and exports went up (to 67 354 tonnes, i.e. +3.9%, and to 287 368 tonnes, i.e. +6.6%, respectively). Butter and whey contributed to increased imports the most. Exports rose for all milk commodities except for butter. The main trade partners for milk and milk products were Germany and Slovakia for 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 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.

Responsible head: Jiří Hrbek, Director of Agricultural, Forestry and Environmental Statistics Department, phone (+420) 274 052 331, e-mail jiri.hrbek@csu.gov.cz
Contact person: Jiří Hrbek, phone (+420) 274 052 331, e-mail jiri.hrbek@csu.gov.cz
Data source: Statistical surveys of the CZSO on livestock slaughtering (Zem 1-12), on cattle production (Zem 1-02), and on pig production (Zem 2-02)
Public Database of the CZSO: Prices of Agriculture (table Agricultural Producer Price Indices and table Average Agricultural Price)
External Trade Database of the CZSO
Outcomes of statistical surveys of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic on milk collection (Mlék(MZe) 6-12, Odbyt(MZe)6-12) and on poultry purchase (Drůb (MZe) 4-12)
End of data collection: 10 October 2018
End of data processing: 25 October 2018
Related outcomes: Livestock Slaughtering https://csu.gov.cz/produkty/livestock-slaughtering-august-2018; publication date of the detailed September figures: 5 November 2018
Cattle production https://csu.gov.cz/produkty/cattle-production-1st-half-of-2018
Pig production https://csu.gov.cz/produkty/pig-production-1st-half-of-2018
Date of the next News Release publication: 30 January 2019

Text was not edited for language.