Drought forces Czech farmers to cut cattle herds

Severe summer drought in the Czech Republic has not only reduced grain yields but also caused an acute shortage of feed crops. Scarce feed supplies and soaring prices are forcing farmers to reduce their cattle herds, Reuters reports.

At Agropodnik Kosetice, which farms 2.6 thsd ha and keeps around 2.9 thsd cattle, this year’s haylage harvest is only about half the volume needed. The farm requires around 11 thsd tons of haylage annually, and even with 3 thsd tons carried over from last year, it still expects a shortage of around 1.5 thsd tons.

The feed shortage has already pushed prices sharply higher. According to the Czech Agriculture Association, the price of a bale of hay has quadrupled from around 500 to 2,000 Czech crowns. At these levels, buying additional feed is economically unviable for many farms.

As a result, farmers are prioritizing feed for their core dairy herds while reducing other livestock categories. Bulls are being sent to slaughter earlier and young cattle are being sold to reduce feed requirements. The resulting increase in cattle supply has already begun to put downward pressure on beef prices.

The livestock sector is also facing low milk prices amid surplus supplies in Europe and high fuel and fertilizer costs. The Czech Agriculture Association estimates that the agricultural sector could lose around CZK 20 billion, or almost $1 billion, in revenue from major commodities this year.

Tags: livestock sector, weather conditions, drought, cattle herds, Czech Republic