News Releases - Agriculture - 4th quarter

Meat production in total went down by 3.7 % y-o-y in the 4 ^th quarter of 2009 due to a considerable decrease in pig meat production; beef and poultry production slightly increased. Milk collection decreased by 3.5 % y-o-y.
Totally, 556 066 tonnes of meat in carcass weight were produced in 2009, that means by 7.2 % less than in the previous year. This amount included 51.2 % pig meat, 13.9 % beef, incl. veal, and 34.9 % poultry meat. Milk collection decreased by 3.2 % y-o-y. 
Slaughter and meat production
 
In the 4 ^th quarter 2009, total number of cattle, inc. calves, for slaughter went up by 0.3 % y-o-y. The average carcass weight of cattle did not change compared to the same period in 2008 and counted for 287.2 kg. Further to a trend in cattle slaughtering, beef production also increased by 0.3 % y-o-y.
 
Number of pigs slaughtered decreased by 9.1 % y-o-y in the 4 ^th quarter, their average carcass weight increased by 1.1 % to 88.2 kg. Pig meat production went down by 8.1 %.
 
Poultry meat production was higher by 1,7 % than in the corresponding period of the previous year.
 
Agricultural producer prices of cattle, pigs and chicken for slaughter
 
In the 4 ^th quarter, agricultural producer prices of cattle for slaughter went up by 1.3 % y-o-y in bulls, by 11.4 % in calves, but they went down by 4.2 % in heifers, and by 3.3 % in cows. The average price of bulls for slaughter in S, E, and U quality classes reached CZK 38.42 per kg of live weight or CZK 73.28 per kg in carcass weight.
 
Agricultural producer prices of pigs for slaughter were lower by 10.8 % y-o-y. The average price of pigs for slaughter in the S, E, and U quality classes was CZK 28.07 per kg of live weight or CZK 36.15 per kg of carcass weight.
 
Similarly, agricultural producer prices of chicken for slaughter were lower y-o-y (by 4.0 %). The average price of 1 ^st-quality chicken for slaughter was CZK 20.47 per kg of live weight.
 
Milk collection and agricultural producer prices of milk
 
Milk collected to dairies amounted to 543.6 million litres in the 4 ^th quarter of 2009, which was by 3.5 % less than in the same period of 2008.
 
Agricultural producer prices of milk dropped by 17.3 % y-o-y in the 4 ^th quarter of 2009. The average price of the Q-quality milk was CZK 6.22 per litre.
 
Trends in meat production, milk collection, agricultural producer prices and foreign trade in 2009
 
In 2009, totally 556 066 tonnes of meat in carcass weight were produced, which was by 7.2 % less than in 2008. This amount included 284 572 tonnes pig meat, 76 478 tonnes beef, 547 tonnes veal, 150 tonnes sheep meat, 66 tones horse meat, and 194 252 tonnes poultry meat.
 
Beef, including veal, production in 2009 went down by 3.7 % compared to 2008. Beef production decreased from the 1 ^st to 3 ^rd quarter, whereas it slightly increased in the last quarter (by 0.3 %). The higher number of cows and heifers for slaughter (by 8.4 % and 11.0 %, respectively) compensated the considerably declined number of bulls for slaughter by 12.5 %, of which bulls slaughtered at the age over two years by approximately one-fourth.
 
Agricultural producer prices of cattle for slaughter increased by 2.1 % in bulls, in the contrary to decreased prices in calves (by 0.8 %), heifers (by 2.2 %), and cows (by 2.3 %). The average price of bulls for slaughter of the S, E, U-quality reached CZK 39.95 per kg of live weight (minimum CZK 38.16 per kg in November, maximum CZK 41.74 per kg in April) or CZK 75.00 per kg of carcass weight (minimum CZK 72.75 per kg in December, maximum CZK 78.05 per kg in April).
 
Foreign trade ¹⁾ in live cattle ended in surplus of 49 477 tonnes, totally 2 002 and 51 479 tonnes of live animals were imported and exported, respectively. Import increased by 1.8 % (35 tonnes) and export went up by 13.6 % (6 149 tonnes) y-o-y. A proportion of animals for slaughter counted for 91.4 % of the total import and 58.4 % of the total export. The highest amount of live cattle was imported from Slovakia (90 %). Exports went to Austria (53 %) and to other countries with a substantially lesser amount.
 
A foreign trade ¹⁾ balance in beef was negative (-12 849 tonnes); totally, 18 218 tonnes were imported and 5 369 tones were exported. Import was higher by 18.0 % (2 777 tonnes) and export went down by 3.2 % (176 tonnes) y-o-y. Beef was imported predominantly from Poland (43 %), Germany (21 %), Austria (12 %), and Ireland (10 %), exported to Slovakia (32 %), Austria (22 %), Poland (16 %), the Netherlands (15 %), and Germany (11 %).
 
Pig meat production in 2009 declined by 10.2 % y-o-y; a various decline was observed in all quarters. Number of sows and boars supplied to slaughterhouses went down y-o-y as well (by 27.0 % in sows and 8.6 % in boars). The pace of culling animals from breeding herds obviously slowed down.
 
Agricultural producer prices of pigs for slaughter slightly decreased (by 0.8 %) in 2009. The month prices were higher from January to May and lower from June to December than in the same period of 2008. The average price of pigs for slaughter of the S, E, U-quality was CZK 29.91 per kg of live weight (minimum CZK 26.93 per kg in December, maximum CZK 31.90 per kg in July) or CZK 38.68 per kg of carcass weight (minimum CZK 34.53 per kg in December, maximum CZK 41.70 per kg in July).
 
Foreign trade ¹⁾ statistics revealed a negative balance in live pigs (-14 183 tonnes); totally, 24 047 tonnes were imported and 9 864 tones were exported. Import rose by 85.3 % (11 069 tonnes) and export dropped by 32.8 % (4 810 tonnes) y-o-y. A proportion of animals for slaughter counted for 72.4 % of the total import and for 95.1 % of the total export. Live pigs were imported predominantly from Germany (39 %), Denmark (26 %), and the Netherlands (24 %). Imports went primarily to Slovakia (52 %) and Hungary (32 %).
 
Foreign trade ¹⁾ in pig meat also ended in deficit (-140 400 tonnes), of which import amounted to 174 956 tonnes and export 34 556 tonnes. In comparison to the previous year, both import and export were higher in 2009 by 17.4 % (25 921 tonnes) and by 2.1 % (697 tonnes), respectively. Pig meat was imported from Denmark (47 %), Austria (11 %) and from other countries with a proportion less than 10 %. Imports went predominantly to Slovakia (89 %).
 
Poultry meat production declined by 3.7 % y-o-y in 2009; there was a decrease observed from the 1 ^st to the 3 ^rd quarters, but an increase in the 4 ^th quarter (by 1.7 %).
 
Agricultural producer prices of chicken for slaughter went down (by 9.5 %) in 2009. During all year, the month prices were below the level of the corresponding period in 2008. The largest decrease was observed in January (by 12.7 %), the smallest one in December (by 2.9 %). The average price of the 1 ^st quality chicken for slaughter was CZK 20.66 per kg; it was not changing significantly during all year. The difference between minimum (in December) and maximum (in April) was CZK 0.59 per kg of live weight.
 
Foreign trade ¹⁾ in live poultry ended in positive balance (30 919 tonnes), import and export amounted to 5 837 tonnes and 36 756 tonnes of live poultry, respectively. Import increased by 22.6 % (1 076 tonnes) and export went down by 3.4 % (1 311 tonnes) y-o-y. A proportion of chicken for slaughter counted for 54.1 % of the total import and for 76.9 % of the total export. Imports predominantly came from Slovakia (68 %), Germany (28 %); exports went to Germany (55 %), Poland (23 %), and Slovakia (16 %).
 
Foreign trade ¹⁾ in poultry meat was negatively balanced (-52 950 tonnes), import and export amounted to 76 574 tonnes and 23 624 tonnes poultry meat, respectively. Import went up y-o-y (17.3 %, 11 295 tonnes) as well as export (2.5 %, 576 tonnes). Poultry meat was primarily imported from Poland (39 %), Brazil (16 %), and Slovakia (10 %) and exported to Slovakia (43 %), Germany (19 %), and Hungary (15 %).
 
Milk collection to dairies amounted to 2 291.7 million litres in 2009, that means by 3.2 % less than in 2008.
 
There was a slump by 29.3 % in average agricultural producer prices of milk in 2009. Average month prices were deep below the level of the same period of the preceding year during the whole year. The difference in y-o-y comparison of month prices was the highest in March (37.7 %) and the lowest in December (10.6 %). Milk of the highest quality - Q-quality milk - was collected for an average price of CZK 6.20 per litre (the price was lowest in September, CZK 5.92 per litre, and highest in January, CZK 6.85 per litre).
 
Foreign trade ¹⁾ in milk and milk products ended in active balance of 570.0 thousand tonnes. Imports of milk and milk products amounted to 272.3 thousand tonnes and exports counted for a total of 842.3 thousand tonnes. While imports went down by 6.5 % (19.0 thousand tonnes), exports rose by 1.5 % (12.6 thousand tonnes) y-o-y. In comparison with 2008, the structure of external trade in milk and milk products has changed. While imports of consumer milk and fermented or acidified milk products decreased (by 11.8 % and 11.6 %, respectively), imports of butter increased (by 37.5 %). On the other hand, exports of fermented or acidified milk products rose up by 21.6 % and exports of butter lowered by 3.7 %. Milk and milk products were imported in particular from Germany (33 %), Slovakia (31 %), and Poland (25 %). Exports went predominantly to Germany (56 %) and Slovakia (15 %).

---

¹⁾ Preliminary figures for period from 1 December 2008 to 30 November 2009. For Intra-Community trade excl. data under Intrastat statistics threshold (annual value of goods: CZK 2 mil. for receipt, CZK 4 mil. for dispatch). The threshold values have been raised as of 1 January 2009 to CZK 8 mil. for both dispatched and arrived goods. However, the providers of statistical information, who exceeded the exemption threshold 2 or 4 millions CZK in 2008, are obliged to continue declaring Intrastat data in 2009 as well.
 
Text not edited for language.
 

---

Methodical note:
Contact person: Jiří Hrbek, phone 27405 2331, e-mail: jiri.hrbek@csu.gov.cz
Source: full survey carried out by the Czech Statistical Office, Agricultural Producer Price Indices in December 2009 (CZSO).
Milk collection and purchase of poultry – survey conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Date of completing data collection: 11 January 2010
Date of completing data processing: 27 January 2010
Published data are final with the exception of foreign trade data.
Following tables: /csu/czso/katalog-produktu