Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 11. 12. 2008

Quality mark Klasa was bestowed to 23 foods, total number is 1391

23 foods from six producers were honoured with a national quality mark Klasa in Prague on Wednesday. Certificates were handed to representatives of appreciated producers by the Food Chamber president Miroslav Toman together with a director of the State Agricultural Intervention Fund Tomáš Revész during a ceremonial evening. A spokesman of the Fund Vladimír Voráček announced it to ČTK today. Already 1391 products from 219 firms have obtained this assessment in five years of the quality mark existence. „Among the appreciated food products there are a wide spectrum of products. The biggest share belongs to meat and meat products; already 432 meat products can pride themselves on the quality mark“, Voráček said to ČTK.

Agricultural trade unionists will have check up agricultural firms

Agricultural trade unionists want to check whether firms paid out wages in compliance with a collective agreement closed between agricultural trade unions and the Czech-Moravian Agrarian Confederation (ČMAK) this year. It results from a statement provided today by the Trade Union of Food and Agriculture Workers – the Association of Free Trade Unions in the CR to ČTK. Trade unionists react in this way to a ČMAK intention to keep wages of agricultural workers at this year level also next year.

Representatives confirmed more than billion for subsidy programs in agriculture

1 billion and hundred million crowns in total will flow in Czech agriculture in frame of so called subsidy programs in 2009. During Wednesday negotiation it was approved by the Chamber of Deputies of the CR Parliament which passed a state budget for 2009 and related proposal on allotment of financial means in subsidy programs. The subsidy programs for 2009 serves for support of restructuring and growth of competitiveness of Czech agrarian sector. The proposal of financial means determined for the subsidy programs for 2009 stems from a total financial limit of 1 100 million crowns.

EC wants cheaper foods; it will support competition on market

The European Commission wants to put through cheaper foods. Therefore it is going to prepare several measures which should help. For example, it intens to support competition on the market or to monitor food prices so that consumers could them compare in particular countries. The Commission acquainted journalists with it on Wednesday. According to EC prices hardly decreased recently, however, in medium-term perspective they will reputedly increase owing to growth of demand in the world. Moreover, causes of price increase, e.g. various limitations, insufficient competition and speculation did not disappear and have to be solved, as the Commission stated.