Animal Production - 4th quarter and year 2021

In Q4 2021, the meat production amounted to 121 677 tonnes (+2.8%); year-on-year increases were recorded in production of all three main meat types. Prices of pigs for slaughter continued to decrease.
The total meat production in the Czech Republic in 2021 amounted to 466 856 tonnes (+2.6%); it consisted of 72 552 tonnes of beef (0.0%), 217 008 tonnes of pigmeat (+2.6%), and 177 157 tonnes of poultrymeat (+3.8%). Agricultural producer prices of animals for slaughter went slightly up for cattle (+4.3%) and chicken (+1.8%) but they were distinctly below the level of the year 2020 for pigs for slaughter (−16.3%). The direct milk collection declined, y-o-y (−2.0%), the amount of milk purchased from producers and collection centres rose (+1.2%).

Slaughtering and meat production
In total 19 497 tonnes of beef were produced in Q4 2021, i.e. only slightly more, y-o-y (+0.7%). This result was influenced especially by increased slaughtering of cows (27.1 thous. head; +2.8%), which compensated lower slaughtering of bulls (26.5 thous. head; −2.5%).
Pigmeat production grew to 56 128 tonnes (+1.7%). In total 605.8 thous. head of pigs were slaughtered (+1.1%), of which 13.5 thous. head were sows (+18.4%).
The amount of poultry supplied to slaughterhouses in Q4 2021 accounted for 70 782 tonnes, which represents 46 012 tonnes of poultrymeat produced (+5.1%).

Agricultural producer prices of cattle, pigs and chicken for slaughter
Agricultural producer prices of cattle for slaughter went up by 10.8%, y-o-y, of which by 7.4% for bulls for slaughter and by 16.0% for cows for slaughter. The average price of bulls for slaughter was 48.55 CZK per kg in live weight or 88.37 CZK per kg in slaughter weight.
The prices of pigs for slaughter persisted under the values of Q4 2020 (−6.0%) and reached on average 25.15 CZK per kg in live weight or 32.70 CZK per kg in slaughter weight. Agricultural producers sold pigs for on average by further 3.1 CZK per kg less in comparison to Q3 2021.
The prices of chicken for slaughter rose, y-o-y, by 4.0%. Chicken for slaughter of the first quality class were sold on average for 23.28 CZK per kg in live weight.

“Due to a long-term surplus of pigmeat on the European market, prices of pigs for slaughter persist below 30 CZK per kg in live weight for 18 consecutive months. Already during 2021, farmers responded to this situation by reducing their number of sows by culling them for slaughter. Slaughtering of sows increased, y-o-y, by 8.9% during the whole year and by 18.4% in Q4 2021,” Markéta Fiedlerová from the Agricultural and Forestry Statistics Unit, says.

Milk collection and agricultural producer prices of milk
In total 745 095 thousand litres of milk (0.0%) were collected from domestic producers in Q4 2021, of which 647 971 thousand litres (+2.6%) were purchased by dairies.
Agricultural producer prices of milk increased, y-o-y, by 9.5%. The average price of Q-quality milk was 9.32 CZK per litre.

The year 2021

“The meat production has been continually growing already for four years. It increased by 2.6% in 2021, of which poultrymeat production the most, followed by pigmeat. The beef production was the same as in 2020. Animals for slaughter from Czech farms, especially cattle, were also exported abroad to a greater extent during the last year,” Radek Matějka, Director of the Agricultural and Forestry, Industrial, Construction, and Energy Statistics Department, informed.

Cattle and beef
In total 235.3 thous. head of cattle (+0.3%) were slaughtered in slaughterhouses in 2021 and the beef production amounted to 72 552 tonnes (0.0%).
Producer prices of cattle for slaughter slightly increased (+4.3%) compared to 2020 for all the important categories: by 3.2% for bulls, by 5.4% for heifers, and by 6.5% for cows. The average price of fattened bulls was 46.84 CZK per kg of live weight or 85.25 CZK per kg of slaughter weight.
According to preliminary results of cross border movements, the trade in live cattle in 2021 grew, y-o-y. Imports of live cattle was negligible compared to their exports. In total 228.6 thous. head of cattle (+3.1%) were exported, of which 71.0 thous. head (+7.9%) were intended for slaughter and 144.8 thous. head (+2.7%) for further rearing. The amount of meat exported as live cattle accounted for 24 448 tonnes, i.e. one third of the annual beef production in Czechia. Exports of live cattle increased mainly to the already established destinations: Spain (calves), Turkey (young cattle), and Germany (cattle for slaughter).
The deficit in cross border movements in beef deepened, y-o-y, to 28 181 tonnes due higher imports (40 483 tonnes; +9.8%) and lower exports (12 302 tonnes; −7.2%). Increased imports were recorded above all for beef from Poland.

Pigs and pigmeat
The number of pigs slaughtered in the Czech Republic in 2021 was 2 348.6 thous. head (+3.0%) and the pigmeat production reached 217 008 tonnes (+2.6%).
Prices of pigs for slaughter in 2021 were far below the level of 2020 (−16.3%) and reached the average value 26.47 CZK per kg of live weight or 34.41 CZK per kg of slaughter weight.
Cross border movements in live pigs declined, y-o-y, on the import side (98.3 thous. head; −3.5%) and went up on the export side (432.2 thous. head; +4.6%). The number of exported young pigs having their average weight 27.6 kg was 180.9 thous. head. Exports of these pigs were twice as high as their imports. Exports of pigs for slaughter grew to 247.8 thous. head (+3.7%). Their slaughter weight corresponded to one tenth of the annual production of pigmeat in Czechia. Young pigs were exported mainly to Austria and pigs for slaughter to Poland.
The deficit in cross border movements in pigmeat slightly decreased due to its imports increased to 281 790 tonnes (+4.2%) and despite that its exports increased as well (34 903 tonnes; +6.1%). Imports of pigmeat from Germany and Belgium increased the most, while its imports from Spain and the Netherlands went down.

Poultry and poultrymeat
The amount of poultry supplied to slaughterhouses in 2021 accounted for 272 614 tonnes, which represents 177 157 tonnes of poultrymeat produced; there was a small year-on-year increase by 3.8%.
Average agricultural producer price of chicken for slaughter in 2021 was slightly higher than in 2020 (+1.8%). It fluctuated with small deviations around the average value 23.11 CZK per kg in live weight in the course of the year.
According to the statistics of cross border movements, the trade in live poultry decreased, y‑o‑y, especially for day-old juveniles. The turnover expressed in number of animals went down by 7.3% for poultry juveniles; their exports declined to 90.4 million head (−6.0%). Therefore, a larger number of animals available for fattening stayed in the country. Exports of fattened chicks and hens for slaughter slightly grew as well (to 20 427 tonnes; +4.4%) approximately to the equivalent of one month production of poultrymeat in Czechia.
The deficit in the trade in poultrymeat was reduced during the observed period. Cross border movements recorded a decrease to 103 205 tonnes (−8.9%) for their imports and an increase to 19 342 tonnes (+23.5%) for exports. Declined imports of poultrymeat concerned mainly Poland and Germany; on the contrary, increased exports were directed e.g. to Bulgaria but also to Poland.

Milk and milk products
The direct milk collection from domestic producers in 2021 accounted for 3 046.5 million litres (−2.0%), of which 2 645.0 million litres (+1.2%) were collected by diaries from producers and collection centres.
Agricultural producer prices of milk in 2021 reached on average 8.96 CZK per litre of Q-quality milk (+4.7%). They rose the most at the end of the year and reached their maximum value of 9.62 CZK per litre in December.
Cross border movements in milk and milk products showed a lower surplus, y-o-y, compared to 2020. In total 295.1 thous. tonnes (+4.5%) of milk and milk products were imported; their exports went down to 1 119.7 thous. tonnes (−1.4%). The trade in acidified milk products recorded – similarly to the previous year – a surplus of 21 609 tonnes, while the deficit in the trade in cheese and curd decreased to 35 445 tonnes. Imports of milk from Slovakia went up; on the contrary, less milk, y-o-y, was exported to Poland but also to Slovakia.

Published data are final, except statistics of cross border movements of goods.
Data on poultry supplied to slaughterhouses and on milk collection are based on statistical surveys of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic.
Data on cross border movements of goods within EU (Intrastat) do not include individual trading operations carried out by persons who are not registered for VAT. Reporting units below the applicable thresholds of CZK 12 million a year for both flows are not under reporting duty for Intrastat as well.

Responsible head: Radek Matějka, Director of Agricultural and Forestry, Industrial, Construction and Energy Statistics Department, phone (+420) 736 168 543, e‑mail radek.matejka@csu.gov.cz
Contact person: Renata Vodičková, Head of Agricultural and Forestry Statistics Unit, phone (+420) 703 824 173, e-mail renata.vodickova@csu.gov.cz
Data source:
Statistical survey of the CZSO on livestock slaughtering (Zem 1-12
Public Database of the CZSO: Prices of Agriculture (table Agricultural Producer Price Indices and table Average Agricultural Price)
Database of the CZSO - Cross Border Movements of Goods
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: 30 January 2022
Related outcomes: Livestock Slaughtering: https://csu.gov.cz/produkty/livestock-slaughtering-december-2021
Date of the next News Release publication: 11 May 2022 

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