Trends of meat production, milk collected, external trade and agricultural producer prices - 4. quarter of 2005

In the fourth quarter of 2005 total meat production (excl. poultry meat) amounted to 110 632 tonnes in carcass weight, which was less by 2.8% compared to the same period of the previous year. The total meat production included 80.3% of pig meat and 19.7% of beef incl. veal.

Cattle slaughter numbers (incl. calves) went down by 8.1% year-on-year, while their average slaughter weight increased by 3.1% to 535.5 kg. In relation to trend in cattle slaughter the beef production (incl. veal) dropped by 5.2% year-on-year.

Pig slaughter numbers (incl. sows and boars) went down by 1.9% year-on-year and their average slaughter weight decreased by 0.3% to 109.1 kg. Having regard to both trends in pig slaughter numbers and their slaughter weight, the pigmeat production went down by 2.2% year-on-year.

Prices of agricultural producers of cattle rose in all categories except calves. Prices of bulls for slaughter rose by 4.9% year-on-year, for heifers for slaughter by 7.8% and for cows for slaughter by 8.9%. On the contrary an average price of calves dropped by 3.3% year-on-year. Prices of agricultural producers of pigs for slaughter kept on falling throughout the 4th quarter of 2005. The average price of pigs declined by 10.5% compared to the 4th quarter of 2004.

Milk collected for dairies stood at 573 million litres. The milk collection decreased by 4.5% compared to the same period of the previous year.

An average price of agricultural producers of milk rose up by 0.2 % year-on-year.
Total meat production (excl. poultry meat) stand at 420 966 tonnes in carcass weight in 2005. This amount included 339 635 tonnes of pig meat, 80 469 tonnes of beef, 562 tonnes of veal, 218 tonnes of sheep meat incl. goat meat and 82 tonnes of horse meat. Total meat production fell by 11.1% compared to 2004.

Pig meat production went down by 9.8 % year-on-year. The production more or less decreased from the beginning of the year. This trend continued to the end of the year. The highest year-on-year fall of pig meat production was recorded in March (-21.6 %), February (-18.0 %) and June (-17.2 %). The decrease in pig meat production slowed down in the 3rd quarter and in the 4th quarter of 2005.

The pig population kept on its decreasing trend as the livestock census carried out as of 1 April 2005 confirmed. The pig population amounted to 2 877 thousand heads in the Czech Republic according to the census. Pig numbers went down by 8.0% year-on-year and by 22.0% in comparison with 2000. The decrease in pig population was related to a liquidation of unprofitable pig farms. A number of pig farmers went down by 10.0% year-on-year in 2005.

A decrease in pig slaughterings led to a year-on-year growth of agricultural producer price of pigs for slaughter in the first half of the year. The prices started falling from July compared to the same month of the previous year. The highest price fall was recorded in October - by 12.5%. The average price of agricultural producers of pigs went down by 1.6% in 2005 year-to-year, of which price of pigs 1st-quality in carcass weight decreased by 0.6 % and the same price of pigs in live weight fell by 1.9 % year-on-year. The average price of pigs for slaughter 1st-quality in live weight reached CZK 32.39 per kilogram and CZK 41.68 per kilogram in carcass weight in 2005.
A lower supply of domestic pigs was offset by an increase in imports of pigs for slaughter. Pig imports went up almost nine times (by 843 tonnes) in the period from 1 January to 30 November 2005. The increase in pig imports and a drop in exports (by 18.6% year-on-year) did not stop the year-on-year pig meat production decline.

External trade ¹⁾ in pig meat ended in a passive trade balance (-83 thousand tonnes) in the period from 1 January to 30 November 2005. Pig meat imports went up by 84.9% (47 thousand tonnes) and exports increased by 54.3% (6.9 thousand tonnes) year-on-year. Pig meat imports amounted to 102.5 thousand tonnes and exports totaled 19.5 thousand tonnes. Pig meat was imported particularly from Germany (45.3%), Austria (15.5%) and Poland (12.5%). Pig meat exports went predominantly to Slovakia (78.7%).

External trade ¹⁾ in live pigs ended in active trade balance +13.3 thousand tonnes. Pig imports went up almost seven times (by 2.2 thousand tonnes) while exports decreased by 15.0% (by 2.8 thousand tonnes). It was exported 15.9 thousand tonnes of live pigs in total, of which 92.0% was pigs for slaughter. Total pig imports amounted to 2.6 thousand tonnes, of which 36.9% of pigs for slaughter. Live pigs were imported primarily from Germany (41.3%), the Netherlands (24.5%), Denmark (14.9%) and Slovakia (11.2%). Exports of live pigs went to Slovakia (47.8%), Germany (28.7%) and Hungary (18.8%).

Beef incl. veal production decreased by 16.2% year-on-year. Meat production kept on decreasing throughout the year compared to the same period of the previous year. The highest meat fall was recorded in the first quarter (-23.9%) and in the second quarter (-19.9%) of the year. The decrease in meat production slowed down to the end of the year.

The cattle population kept on decreasing in 2005. According to the livestock census conducted on 1 April 2005 there was 1 397 thousand heads of cattle in the Czech Republic. The cattle population decreased by 2.2% year-on-year and by 11.2% compared to 2000. The decrease in cattle population was related to an increase in milk production per cow and to a liquidation of unprofitable herds.

Numbers of suckler cows went up by 3.7% year-on-year and twice compared to 2000. In spite of an increase in the number of suckler cows, the production of cattle for slaughter did not cover domestic demand. A lower supply of cattle for slaughter on the domestic market led to a year-on-year increase in the prices of agricultural producers of cattle for slaughter throughout the year in all categories. The average agricultural producer price of bulls for slaughter went up by 7.4%, for heifers by 11.4%, for cows by 20.1% and for calves by 13.3% year-on-year. The average price of bulls for slaughter 1st-quality in live weight reached CZK 41.31 per kilogram and CZK 74.89 per kilogram in carcass weight.

The significant year-on-year fall of beef production was caused, besides a lower supply of domestic cattle for slaughter, by the decrease in imports of cattle for slaughter (by 32.3% compared to 2004) and by more than double increase in exports of cattle for slaughter compared to the preceding year.

External trade ¹⁾ in beef ended in a passive trade balance -14.8 thousand tonnes in the period from January to November 2005. Beef imports went up twice (by 8.2 thousand tonnes), whereas exports went down to 13.3% year-on-year (by 9.3 thousand tonnes). Imports of frozen and refrigerated beef stand at 16.2 thousand tonnes and exports totaled 1.4 thousand tonnes. Beef was imported predominantly from Poland (37.8%), Austria (22.4%) and further from Slovakia (13.3%) and Germany (9.8%). Beef exports went to Austria (48.9%) and Slovakia (25.0%).

External trade ¹⁾ in live cattle ended in active trade balance +32.3 thousand tonnes in the same period. Imports of live cattle went down by 22.0% (0.4 thousand tonnes), while exports increased by 51.3% (11.4 thousand tonnes) year-on-year. A live cattle was imported in particular from Slovakia (64.1%) and Germany (21.8%). Exports of live cattle went predominantly to Austria (39.1%) and to a lesser extent to Germany (15.1%) and Denmark (9.4 %). Exports of live cattle totaled 33.6 thousands tonnes, of which were 38.6% of bulls for slaughter and 6.5% of calves. Cattle imports amounted to 1.3 thousands tonnes, of which were 59.6% of bulls for slaughter.

Milk collection amounted to 2 476 million litres in 2005. It went down by 0.8% in comparison with 2004. Milk collection kept declining in both the first and the fourth quarter of 2005, whereas it was slightly rising in the second and the third quarter of the year.

Prices of agricultural producers of the Q-quality milk went up year-on-year in all months of the year except for December. December saw a slight price decrease - by 0.5% year-on-year. The highest year-on-year increase in prices was recorded in the first quarter of the year (+6.2%). From April the year-on-year growth rate of milk prices was on the gradual decrease. The agricultural producer price of the Q-quality milk went up by 2.8% year-on-year. The average price reached CZK 8.22 per liter milk.

External trade1) in milk and milk products ended in active trade balance +177.5 thousand tonnes in the period from January to November 2005. This result was reached in particular due to a high amount of fresh milk exports and to a lesser extent due to milk powder and whey exports. Exports of milk and milk products amounted to 380.5 thousands tonnes and imports totaled 203.1 tonnes. Imports of this commodity went up by 45.4% (63.4 thousand tonnes) and exports increased by 76.8% (165.3 thousand tonnes) year-on-year. Milk and milk products were imported predominantly from Poland (37.9%), Slovakia (29.5%) and Germany (26.0%). Almost one half of milk and milk products produced in the Czech Republic was exported to Germany (49.3%). Another important destination was Slovakia, where 20.2 % of this commodity was exported.

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