Producers Say Czech Poultry Prices Will Grow Markedly
PRAGUE - Poultry meat prices on the Czech market will increase considerably owing to growing prices of grains and other inputs, representatives of breeders and meat processors said at a news conference of the Agricultural Chamber Wednesday.Some meat processors say they will want their customers to pay up to 30 percent more; the actual price growth will depend on talks with retailers. A price hike also can be expected for pork even though it may be slower.
Producers say poultry and pork prices can grow roughly from September when more expensive grains from this year's harvest will gradually start to be used to feed animals. Jaroslav Faltynek of the agricultural group Agrofert said the domestic crop provides no reason for higher prices, but there is high demand on the European market and Czech grains are exported on a large scale at high prices.
"We will try to raise prices of chickens by about 20-30 percent," said Petr Cingr, head of the meat production division at Agrofert.
Besides more expensive grains that will raise prices of feed mixtures, more money will have to be paid to farmers because they would otherwise sell live animals abroad, he added. Poultry meat prices in the Czech Republic are 20 percent below the neighbouring markets, said Cingr.