Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 16 .2. 2009

Faster pay-off of European means will help to solve crisis

The first decision on approval of supports from the Rural Development Program in a volume of about 400 million crowns arrived at a part of agricultural enterprises and farmers today. It is dealt with payments for so called Agri-environmental measures in total values of roughly 3,3 billion crowns. The state discharges by this payments contracted work done by farmers last year. A speed of pay-offs is a long-term problem of Czech agriculture. These problems were negotiated also at the Anti-bureaucratic Commission of Minister of Agriculture last year.

Number of eco-farms nears to number 2000 in the Czech Republic

From actual statistical data of organic agriculture it results that organic agriculture fast develops in the Czech Republic. A number of eco-farms came near to two thousands at the last year´s end. Organic farming is now on area of 350 000 ha. A share of organic agriculture in the all acreage of agricultural land has already exceeded eight percents. At end of December 2008 , 1946 agricultural enterprises farm organically; by 600 farms more against last year which is an year-on-year accrual by 48 %. A number of bio-food producers increased from last year´s 253 to 422, so an accrual by 66 %.

Thirty to seventy

About fourteen days ago we made a check purchase of assortment of milk products in one trade chain in Brno to found out what percent of these products is Czech. Despite the fact that it was dealt with a discount chain, the results were shocking (I have no idea of any other term). Of one hundred of purchased milk foods, only 37 were Czech and 63 originated from abroad! For interest, 35 from Germany, 14 from Poland, 5 Slovakian and 3 Dutch and so on.

MŽP suggest low rate of VAT for ecologically friendly products

In frame of measure against economic crisis, the Ministry of Environment (MŽP) suggests a reduction of rate of value added tax for ecologically friendly products and services. Products and services ecologically friendly to the environment should be taxed by a lower rate of value added tax as the Ministry of Environment suggests. The proposal will be discussed by the Cabinet and the National Economic Council of the Government on Monday, Jakub Kašpar, a spokesman of the office said to ČTK today. If the proposal outlined recently by Martin Bursík, the Minister of Environment, were passed, people can wait to see a price reduction of products and services meeting requirements of the power class A and higher.