Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 11.4.2006

Balance of agribusiness deteriorated in February in comparison with the last year

The balance of agrarian foreign trade ended in February this year with deficit higher roughly by a half of milliard in comparison with the same period last year. It results from data which the Ministry of Agriculture CR (MZe) published today. While the agribusiness deficit reached 2,16 milliard crowns last year, it increased to 2,69 milliard this year. According to MZe agrarian export increased in February 2006 in comparison with the February 2005 by 6 %, however, the agrarian import in the same period increased by 11 percent. “Coverage of import by export decreased from 71,78 percent in 2005 to 68,3 percent in 2006. In February 2006 the agrarian export reached a volume of 5,81 milliard, the export 8,51 milliard crowns and the total volume of agribusiness was 14, 323 milliard crowns”, the Ministry reported.

Den: Winter and floods killed as much as quarter of colonies of bees in Olomouc region

Many bee-keepers from Olomouc region lost as much as quarter of colonies of bees due to long winter and floods. Bees which survived the winter are weak. Therefore experts estimate a lower harvest of first light honeys. Today’s issue of the regional daily Olomoucký den (Den) informed about it. “Losses will be much higher than in the past. As acceptable death till ten percents is considered, however, in some areas preliminary numbers are much higher...We will know the final numbers in May”, said a secretary of Czech Bee-keepers Union Miloslav Peroutka.

Chickens cheapen; prices are press down by meat from import

Panic about bird flu has not burst out in the Czech Republic yet. Although ten cases of this disease have appeared in the republic, people gradually give back poultry meals on their table. Statistics show since the beginning ten-percent decrease in sale of poultry meat. “The decrease in demand happened temporarily when the infection of bird flu appeared in Slovakia”, says Kateřina Černá from Ahold which owns Hypernova and Albert stores in the CR. According to Černá, the sale returns now to the original level. It is mainly thanks to a great fall of prices.

Genetically modified varieties of corn has been permitted for the first time in Germany

“We welcome decision of the Federal Office for Protection of Plant Varieties”, the secretary of the Federal Union of German Plant Growers (BDP - Bundesverband Deutscher Pflanzenzüchter) Dr. Ferdinand Schmitz declared. „Finally a necessary legal basis had been done so that corn resistant against insect could be used in practice“. In last years there still were obstructions against legitimate permissions despite of contradictory promises of the Ministry of Künastová. „This form of law chicanery has now ended“, says Schmitz. „The Federal Office for Protection of Plant Varieties in licensing of varieties has finally obtained its authority.”