Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 12.5.2008

Reception of applications from Operational program Fishery will start in June

Rules for spending financial means from the Operational program Fishery 2007 - 2013 were approved by the Minister of Agriculture Petr Gandalovič at the and of April. Applicants can submit projects elaborated according these rules in the 1st round of reception of applications which will run concurrently with the Rural Development Program in time from the 10th to the 30th of June till 1 o'clock p.m. in measures 2.1 Measures for productive investment in aquaculture and 2.4 Investment in processing and introduction on market.

ES and farmers will get first money for closure of sugar refineries this year

Sugar industry company Eastern Sugar (ES) and inland sugar-beet growers will get the fist part, almost 75 million Euros (1,88 billion crowns) from a restructuring fund this year in June. Money are determined as a compensation for sugar quota refund and closure of three inland sugar refineries Eastern Sugar in Hrochův Týnec in the Chrudim region, in Němčice nad Hanou in the region Prostějov, and in Kojetín in the region Přerov. The State Intervention Fund (SZIF) published on its web sides that 40 percent from this sum will be paid this year in July and 60 percent next year in February.

Farmers expect next jump in food prices; minister is optimist

Foods will rise in price again this year, warned the president of Agrarian Chamber Jan Veleba in the Czech Television. He expects growth by more than ten percents because demand increases in the world market. However, the Minister of Agriculture Petr Gandalovič from ODS gueses that it will not be so bad. In a discussion program Otázky Václava Moravce (Václav Moravec's questions) it was heard that the minister supposes rise in prices of foods maximally about ten percents. He argues that for example Czech farmers sowed a bigger area with wheat or oil rape and meantime good weather indicates good harvest.

Demand for bio-distillates grows

A company Biosféra, as the only firm in Czech market, started to import bio distillates - alcoholic beverages as whisky, white and spicy rum, gin and vodka in the CR from this year's April. Their production uses only entirely net natural raw materials coming from checked ecological farming and do not contain any chemicals and other additives. “Despite the fact that we started to offer them last month, acceptance surpasses our expectations - it is seen that the Czech consumer is harder to please than before and demand for quality natural bio distillates will certainly grow by hundreds percents yearly”.