Local butcher shops across the Czech Republic are facing unprecedented challenges as a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has sent beef prices skyrocketing by nearly 50 percent. The crisis, which began with infected cattle in Hungary and Slovakia, has forced the culling of thousands of cattle and led to import bans, creating a severe shortage in the meat market.
Karel Jarolímek, owner of a renowned butcher shop, reports that the situation has drastically affected consumer behavior. “With beef prices increasing by at least fifty percent, customers have almost completely stopped buying it,” he explains. The impact is particularly visible in restaurant supply chains, where establishments continue to purchase beef for hamburgers but have reduced their orders for traditional dishes due to the prohibitive costs.
The crisis isn’t limited to beef. The poultry market has also been hit by a double whammy of avian flu and intense price competition between retail chains. Small butcher shop owners like Tomáš Spálenka have seen their sales drop by half after being forced to raise prices. Large supermarket chains are further complicating the situation by selling meat below cost price, a practice that smaller businesses cannot afford to match.
Industry veteran Oldřich Čejka warns that recovery could take years. While chicken farms can be restocked within three months, establishing new cattle herds requires three to four years. The current market conditions have led to significant price variations, with some butchers reporting increases between 15-25 percent, while others have had to implement the full 50 percent increase.