Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 24.1.2007

Brussels prepares reforms of market with fruit and vegetable; they will concern school too

The European Commission approved today a proposal of reforms on fruit and vegetable markets. Changes will not concern only farmers but will affect also schools, charities and for example children camps. For them the agricultural grown products should be free; Brussels would finance their full price. A change is being prepared also in other dotations. Czech fruit growers welcomed the intention to supply fruits in schools. While till this time fruit and vegetable growers have received money from the EU in dependence on how much they produce, now the subsidies should be dependent on the acreage of their agricultural land. However, a certain role will be played by other criteria. An exception is just the situation when farmers supply their grown products in schools, charities and other facilities.

Sale of Setuza? Pitr negotiate with Babiš

Tomáš Pitr and Andrej Babiš – two till this time irreconcilable entrepreneurs – in recent weeks sit twice at a negotiating table. Topic? Sale of Setuza. Food and chemical enterprise in Ústí ended in execution last year after the government intervention. The state claims four-milliard outstanding debt which Setuza’s owners refused to recognize. Pitr with Babiš negotiated already before the Christmas; for the second time they met in Prague hotel Top this Tuesday. Both entrepreneurs confirm the meetings to the on-line daily Aktuáln˙.cz. Nevertheless, they are close-tongued for details of discussions. “We met. With Mr. Pitr we solve trade with rape and we solved them also this time”, Babiš affirms.

Bio-hey is not main “product” in ecological agriculture

Ecological farmers overcome doubts on a correct setting of supports for ecological meadows and pastures in the Program of Rural Development. The Union of ecological farmers PRO-BIO considers as important to explain correctly expression of some top representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture CR which have recently appeared in mass medias. First of all it is dealt with an expression that a main product of ecological agriculture is – regarding such a high share of meadows and pastures – bio-hay. By means of an inquiry in our members we have found out that sale of bio-hay is less than 1 % from total takings of ecological farmers. At the question why this share is so low farmers answered mostly that hay is a intermediate product serving to feed cows and heifers when a layer of snow lies on pastures.

Calamity will very employ wood cutters

Wood cutters have a lot of work now due to huge windbreak which the hurricane Kyrill caused in forests. Still several years ago wood cutter firms were afraid of their existence and released employees after the state enterprise Lesy CR had not have enough time to close new contracts with them in time. It should paralyze wood harvest minimally for two months; there was also a threat of a lack of wood. Now the situation is completely contradictory. Orders roll in on wood cutters, even from abroad. Some of the firms will take on a part of released people again.

Source: Agris, 25.01.2007