Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 27.8. 2007

Number of cows in all regions except region Zlín decreased in first half-year

The best dairy-cows are from Moravian-Silesian region. An average daily milk yield in the region reached 19,8 liters of milk per cow in the first half-year which is the most from all regions in the republic. It results from data of the Czech Statistic Office (ČSÚ). A daily average milk yield of cows over the whole republic was approximately 18 liters of milk. According to ČSÚ cows from the region Karlovy Vary had less milk. An average milk yield per cow in half-year was 3585 liters in Moravian-Silesian region and it increased year-on-year by 4,1 percents. A year ago these cows gave at average 19 liters of milk daily. The agricultural cooperative Hraničář with a seat in Loděnice in Opava region raise 600 cows without pastures, in spite of that it shows the best efficiency in the region. A supply of milk is about 26 - 27 liters daily per cow.

Czech eat still less bread; on the contrary they afford more rolls and cakes

There is still less of bread and more rolls and cakes in a bill of fare of the Czechs. A bread consumption has fallen by 6,3 percents since 1989 to 53,2 kilograms per head in the year before last. On the contrary every Czech ate at average 44,2 kilograms of rolls, cakes, pansies and other kinds of wheat pastry in 2005 which represented increase by one third compared to the year 1989. It results from statistic data. According to experts these changes are obviously connected with the fact that bread is not as cheap thing as used to be and is not bought “by two loaf” at a time so that it would end in a garbage bin. There is also a remarkable tendency of consumers to health nutrition and to wholemeal and in other way improved bakery products. Evidently, it is influenced also by a growing purchasing power of inhabitants who affords more expensive pastries.

Czech farmers will capitalize on poppy seed more than billion

The Czech Republic became the biggest poppy-seed producer in the world this year. Just culminant harvest promises to farmers a profit as much as 1,5 billion crowns. Poppy seed will cover losses to some farmers connected with failure of growing of sugar beet and other crops. The Czech Republic is not only a country of beer but also a country of poppy-heads. Even it is the biggest unrivalled producer of poppy seed in the world. “Data slightly differs but according to our resources this year it was sown about 80 thousand hectares with poppy seed”, Petr Šimek, a vice-chairman of an association Black poppy seed (Černý mák) which promotes its growers. Farmers will sell food poppy seed for 1,25 - 1,5 billion crowns this year. A part of sown acreage was liquidated by weather and pests, however, a record is not endangered. The acreage of poppy fields in the world is 250 - 280 thousand hectares but only a half of this amount grows legally.

Czech beer lover switches to bottles and soft beer

In the Czech Republic it is still more “in” to drink beer without alcohol. In the first half year Czech brewers prepared almost twice more of soft beer than a year ago and they expect further growth. Every fortieth produced Czech beer is without alcohol and this share should still increase. “During two or three years a share of soft beer will increase to five percent from the total production”, estimates Jan Veselý, a chief of the Czech Beer and Malt Association. Last year breweries took advantage of an interest in soft beer which was invoked by a new road law. This trend weakens neither this year. Beer production breaks records even in total numbers. “We expect that for the first time in history over 20 million hectoliters of beer will be produced this year in the Czech Republic”, Veselý estimates. Still more beer aim abroad; for example Lobkovický brewery exports over 80 percent of its production.