Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 15.08. 2006

Agrarian chamber in Olomouc advises farmers to wait with sale of wheat

Agrarian chamber (ACH) in Olomouc recommends cereals growers to wait with sale of food wheat. ACH management expects that prices will rise because of a lack of quality cereals. A substantial part of crops has been depreciated by tropical heats and subsequent strong rains. Only in Olomouc region the ACH estimates damages for 600 million crowns.” I would recommend farmers who have harvest of good quality stored home in suitable premises not to sell goods under the intervention price which is 2900 crowns. They should store it and sell till they recognize that the price is fair. There is a lack of quality wheat in the whole Europe”, Miloš Porč, the director of Olomouc ACH said to journalists today.

Genetically modified grass has run away

Ecologists warn that “runaway” genetically modified grass can damage wild growth. Opponents object that gene modification does not make any advantage for the plant in the nature and so there is no reason to estimate its fast spread. At first sight completely usual grass which has appeared in American state Oregon, sounded the alarm. It is dealt with a genetically modified plant which had run away from experimental fields in the nature before offices approved use of it. Such a case has happened in the USA for the first time at all. Therefore the local Ministry of Agriculture opened unprecedented investigation focused on impact of the spread of genetically modified plant in the nature.

Where prices of food will aim? Obviously up

Farmers production prices in July in comparison with the same month last year rose by 1,4 percents. The most significant – by 11,5 percents year-on-year – it was obvious in plant products. Mainly prices of potatoes increased. It results from the yesterday’s information of Czech Statistic Office on development of production prices. In comparison with previous month, when farmers increased prices hardly, the prices fell by 6,7 percents in July. Fruits were cheaper by 17 percents; potatoes by 20,5 percents, vegetable by 40,8 percents, further eggs, poultry and milk. On the contrary prices of pigs, oil plants and cattle aimed upwards.

Central-Bohemian farmers are in harvesting more than in halfway, they expect losses

Farmers in Central-Bohemia region proceed only slowly in harvesting cereals due to unfavourable weather and expect already now lower yields than last year, significant losses as well. Up to now the region has managed to harvest 54,5 percent of cereals with average yield 4,65 percents, which is by 12 percents less than last year. Dagmar Mocová, the director of the regional agrarian chamber said it to ČTK today. In unusually hot beginning of summer farmers started to harvest with advance this year, however, owing to present rainy weather they have already lost the advance. “ Last year it was harvested to a nicety the same acreage of cereals last year to the 15th August”, said Mocová.