Summary of newspapers of the previous days – 10. - 12. 7. 2009

Fifth year of Bio-food Day is coming

The Month of Ecological Agriculture and Biofoods will celebrate an anniversary fifth year this year in September. The event is the biggest and the most important propagation activity focused on ecological agriculture and biofoods in the Czech Republic and will take place under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic. The same as in last years also this year´s Month of Ecological Agriculture has its motto: “I can trust in biofoods”. An aim of the campaign is to support a reliance of the public upon organic farming by means of information about independent control system and a warranty of keeping rules in the whole biofood supply chain “from a dunk-fork to a fork”.

CSO: Acreage of agricultural land in the Czech Republic decreased to 3,55 million ha

The agricultural land acreage in the Czech Republic decreased by 0,7 percents to this year´s 3,546 million hectares which is by 26 000 hectares less than in 2008. The acreage of arable land decreased by 18 000 hectares to 2,574 million hectares. Its share in the total agricultural land is 72,6 percents. It results from data provided by the Czech Statistic Office (CSO). 925 000 ha fall on permanent grass growths which is by 8000 ha less against last year. Their share in the total agricultural land is 26,1 percents. The acreage of non-sown arable land and heathland increased by 22 percents, by 5000 hectares and amounts to 1,1 percents from the average of arable land, CSO presented.

Minister Šebesta negotiated with chain representatives

A position of Czech products on the food market, especially in connection with a critical situation in the milk sector, was the main topic of today´s meeting of the Minister of Agriculture Jakub Šebesta with representatives of trade chains represented by the Trade and Tourism Union of the Czech Republic (SOCR ČR- Svaz obchodu a cestovního ruchu). The minister appreciated a willingness of trade chains managers to negotiate and look for ways which could lead to an improvement of the present situation. “Businessmen are those who know the best their costumers for whom agricultural products are determined among others. Therefore it is essential so that farmers and food producers participated together in a discussion which should find tools for the crisis modulation.”

Ministry of Agriculture wants to accelerate pay-off of direct payments

The Minister of Agriculture Jakub Šebesta decided to accelerate maximally a pay-off of advance payments of direct payments over the year 2009. Therefore the State Agricultural Intervention Fund (SZIF) started a preparation of administration of the advance payments pay-offs of SAPS applications which could be paid-off to farmers already from the second half of October. In total, by near to four and half billion crowns more than in last year will be paid-off. “The applicants will be given decisions on subsidy grants after the end of competence controls so that pay-off of the advance payments in height to 70 percents of the total recognized sum run already after the 16th of October.