Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 18.5.2006

Ill forests are devastated also by proliferated game

If current way of management continues, Czech forests do not have a chance to recover. It is predicated by front Czech scientists. Except pollutions from factories and uneconomical management of a substantial part of foresters also proliferated game damages growths.” If you try to plant out broad-leaf trees in forest and do not provide them with demanding and expensive protection, you can be absolutely sure that game will eat them”, Jan Kirschner, the director of Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences CR says. Too high numbers of game are, according to scientists and conservationists, artificially maintained by huntsmen. Then they have a greater chance to hunt something in a forest. However, the Bohemian-Moravian Huntsman Union refuses data about proliferated deer and fallow deer. It is not true that hoofed game is proliferated in open hunting districts at present. Numbers of hunted game increases but it concerns purely game-parks”, a secretary of the Union, Jiří Šilha, argues.

Is food self-sufficiency of the Czech Republic endangered?

Czech farmers show a profit finally after years. Despite that they are discontent and even they alarm. According to them food self-sufficiency of the country is endangered. Zdeněk Vališ tried to find out at the president of Agrarian Chamber Jan Veleba where the problem is. Before the CR entrance in the European Union agriculture was mostly unprofitable. Although after 1989 it has changes significantly and get through a strong “reduction diet”, about 13 milliard crowns in subsidies aimed annually in agrarian sector. Last year the agrarian sector obtain already almost 30 milliard crowns of subsidies thanks to contributions from the European Union and showed a profit nine milliard crowns. Despite that, according to the president of Agrarian Chamber Jan Veleba, farmers do not glory at all.

Farmers without subsidies? It is not utopia

Among farmers as well as politics and Union officers discussions strengthen about what it will be with subsidies for farmers in the future. It is clear that farmers will not get such massive support like now for a long time. Who from entrepreneurs will not be prepared, he/she will end. Next week top experts will come at a conference on future of agrarian Europe in Prague. The will negotiate about a reform of agrarian sector in which about fifty milliard Euros flow annually. “ Under a pressure of the World Trade Organization most of export subsidies will fall already since 2010.

Government CR passed National strategic plan of rural development

Czech agriculture and countryside will be able to draw roughly 13,4 milliard crowns in yearly average from the European agricultural fund for rural development (EAFRD). In 2007-2013 according to the National strategic plan 93 milliard crowns should be invested in agriculture and rural development. The European Union would provide 73 milliard and the rest would go from the national budget. From the total yearly allotment the passed material gives 22,39 % of financial means to the axis I – a consolidation of competitiveness of agriculture, forestry and food industry. The strategy gives 55,2 % of financial means to the axis II concerning environment and landscape improvement.

Source: Agris, 19.5.2006