| Abstract [eng] |
The article deals with the seasonality of cattle and pigs purchase, its impact on purchase prices in Lithuania and the related trends and problems on the domestic and foreign markets in 2009. The low beef quality causes and relatively low purchase prices. Due to the seasonality, beef purchase prices are very different: in winter-spring they are higher than the average and in autumn - vice versa. Such seasonality is influenced by cattle growers themselves since in autumn they sell more cattle. Unfortunately, in autumn the weight of cattle is less. As a result, the cattle growers suffer losses of 500 Lt per each cattle sold. The larger supply has no impact on the consumption. All the oversupply of beef is exported. Even the sales of 40% of calves meet the demand. However, due to the crisis, the sales of meat and meat products on the domestic market were declining. According to the preliminary data, the consumption of beef over the year 2009 decreased by 30%. The average purchase price of pigs of all grades was changing depending on the market situation (decline of grain prices, decrease of the consumption during the crisis period, demand for a certain grade pork, etc.). However, the seasonality of pigs of certain categories is rather noticed not only in Lithuania but in other EU countries as well. Such seasonality does not depend on the specifics of pig growing but on the consumption. In 2009 the pig purchase was by 29% lower than in 2008. Over the year the export of live pigs increased by 36%. According to preliminary calculations, the consumption of pork has declined by nearly 13% in the country. This had an influence on the declining of pigs’ purchase prices, though VAT went up even by 16% points over the year. |
