Trends of meat production, milk collected, external trade and agricultural producer prices - 2. quarter of 2005

In the second quarter of 2005 total meat production reached the level of 104 030 tons in carcass weight (excl. poultry meat). This amount included 80.9 % pigmeat and 19.1 % beef incl. veal. Meat production total decreased by 14.7 % compared to the same period of the previous year.

Numbers of cattle slaughtered incl. calves decreased by 19.4 % and beef production (incl. veal) went down by 19.9 % year-on-year. A moderate decrease in an average slaughter weight was recorded for cattle (incl. calves), by 0.6 % to 525.0 kg.

Numbers of pigs slaughtered (incl. sows and boars) went down by 11.7 % and their average slaughter weight decreased by 2.1 % to 109.5 kg. In connection with this trend pigmeat production went down by 13.4 % year-on-year.



Numbers of animal population keep decreasing. This trend was confirmed by results of the livestock census conducted on 1 April 2005. According to this survey cattle numbers went down by 2.2 % year-on-year, of which numbers of calves for slaughter decreased by 12.1 %, heifers for slaughter by 21.4 % and numbers of bulls for slaughter by 9.0 %. Pig numbers total decreased by 8.0 % on 1 April 2005 year-on-year. Pig numbers went down in each category except for sows mated for the first time. The highest decrease in numbers was recorded for piglets (-12.0 %) and sows not mated (-13.7 %).

Agricultural producer prices of cattle for slaughter rose up in each category year-on-year in the second quarter of 2005. There was recorded increase in price of bulls for slaughter by 10.6 %, in case of heifers for slaughter by 16.8 %, cows for slaughter by 35.9 % and calves for slaughter by 21.4 %. The average price of bulls for slaughter A - quality reached CZK 40.92 per 1 kilo in live weight and CZK 73.78 per 1 kilo in carcass weight in the first semester of 2005.



External trade ¹⁾ recorded a passive trade balance 5 516 tons for beef and 29 546 tons for pigmeat in a period since the beginning of the year to the end of May 2005. Beef imports increased almost three times in this period and exports went up by 11.9 % year-on-year. Pigmeat imports grew more than twice and exports increased by 36.3 % year-on-year.

Live animals external trade ¹⁾ recorded an active trade balance 13 352 tons for cattle and 11 166 tons for pigs. Live cattle imports fell by 57.5 % whereas exports went up more than twice year-on-year. Live pigs imports increased more than nine times and exports went up by 15.7 %.

Milk collected for dairies amounted to 655 mil litres in the second quarter of 2005. Milk collection increased by 2.3 % compared to the same period of the preceding year.


Agricultural producer prices of milk rose by 5.0 % in the second quarter of 2005 year-on-year. Q-quality milk reached CZK 8.31 per 1 liter in the first semester of 2005.


External trade ¹⁾ of milk and milk products showed an active trade balance 67.3 ths tons in the period from January to the end of May 2005. High export volumes of row milk and milk powder (incl. cream) had predominantly a share in this result. Imports of milk and milk products increased by 64.3 % and exports went up twice year-on-year.

1) Business firms’ data under threshold of Intrastat statistics have not been included in figures since May 2004