Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 11.4.2008

Price of rice steeply grows and attracts investors

Fast growing price of rice rouses an interest of investors and alarm consumers. The price of basic food of a half of the world reached on Monday record 21 dollars for 100 pounds (roughly 45 kg). It was slightly revised on Tuesday and than it again climbed up. In comparison with the same period last year the price of rice doubled. It is even five times higher than in 2001. “Many key exporters are afraid of that they will not have enough for their inhabitants. Therefore they limit their exports”, an analyst of the company Colosseum, Štěpán Pírko says. China, Egypt, Vietnam and India which represent more than a third of global export of rice have already reduced exports this year. Indonesia prepares for it.

Government reform of agricultural policy

Quality of life in the countryside and settlement of ownerships to land, diversification of activity, reduction of bureaucracy and a just conception of agricultural policy of the European Union – it is a conception of reform of agricultural policy in raw lines by the Minister of Agriculture Petr Gandalovič. He together with the premier Mirek Topolánek introduced its main points at a meting of journalists at a farmstead in Radonice u Prahy.

Bio-oil from slaughter wastes

A Danish firm produces bio-oil from wastes originated in slaughter of pigs and slaughter bodies unsuitable for processing in food and feed industries. Denmark started to produce bio-oil on base of wastes from slaughter pig bodies. A production company, which had already produced bio-oil from rape, has build works with value 24 million EUR which can process fat from slaughter pig bodies and by-products from a pig slaughter. An aim of the processing company is to reach a week production in height approximately 1000 tons of bio-oil till the end of this year. During several years a volume of produced oil should gradually increased to double of the present state.

Amendment of veterinary law will simplify sale of venison

An amendment of veterinary law will simplify a way of venison in a retail network. Till this time all hunted game has had to be checked by a vet. Newly a check of specially trained huntsman would be sufficient. Venison should appear more often in a menu of common people. However, most probably it will not be possible to prevent sale of venison under-the-counter in restaurants and pubs, said Jaroslav Kostečka, a secretary of the Bohemian-Moravian Unit at the forestry fair Silva Regina in Brno. Senators will vote on the amendment of law; representatives have already passed it. According to the law all hunted game belongs to an hunting-ground owner.