August 2, 2017

Czech Republic meat production posts 3.4% decrease in Q2

Meat production in the Czech Republic during the second quarter decreased 3.4% to 110,736 tonnes, with beef and pork production equally down, by 8.1% and 6.6%, respectively, according to the latest agricultural data released by the Czech Statistical Office (CSO). Poultry-meat production, however, recorded an increase of 3.2%.

Agricultural producer prices of cattle for slaughter went up, year-on-year, by 2.1%, and those of pigs for slaughter rose 27.4%. In contrast, those of chicken for slaughter decreased 3.6%.

In the same period, the number of slaughtered cattle totalled 55,200 head, down 7.4% year-on-year.

The long-term decline in the number of slaughtered pigs continued in the second quarter (599,400 head; -5.0%), CSO said. 

According to results of the livestock survey, the number of cattle in the Czech Republic at the beginning of the second quarter was 1,421,200 head (+0.4%, year-on-year). The number of cows went up, dairy cows slightly decreased by 0.7% to 369,800 head, while the number of other cows (beef) rose 2.3% to 216,100 head.

The number of pigs decreased, year-on-year, to 1,490,800 head (-7.4%). The largest drop was recorded in pigs for fattening (-12.2%). The CSO said it could be assumed that the significantly lower number of pigs for fattening in the category of 50-80 kilogrammes (-14.6%) at the beginning of the second quarter would influence the number of pigs from indigenous farms intended for slaughter at the turn of the half-year when they reach their slaughter weight.

The number of sows dropped as well, by 6.2% compared with the previous year.

The number of poultry was almost the same as last year (21,494,300 head; +0.8%). The number of hens rose 11.8% to 6,835,700 head, as well as the number of ducks, by 10.4% to 549,700.

Declines, however, were recorded for broilers (10,938,400; -4.3%), reared pullets (2,552,200; -4.0%), geese (18,100; -7.9%) and turkeys (339,700; -9.3%).