Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 3. 11. 2010

Bio is „in“: 62 % of customers are willing to pay extra for it

Owing to increased demand for bio-foods, Tesco enlarges a line Organic. A strong-mindedness of Czech customers to try bio-foods and to make certain of their characters does not weaken, but just vice versa. As the last inquiry of customers ´ behaviour of the company Tesco proves, 53 % of the Czech at least ones bought bio-products this year. Last year it was 48 % of them. Tesco decided on base of these results to enlarge its line of foods Organic. Considering the price, people are willing in as many as 62 % of interviewed to pay extra for bio.

Government will negotiate grant programs in agriculture in 2011

Next year, national agrarian subsidies should be reduced by more than a half of this year´s 1.1 billion crowns to 526.7 million crowns. It results from a submit report of a material which will be negotiated by the government on Monday. However, the national endowment programmes represent only a very small part of the total agrarian support. The total volume of grants in this branch, owing to growing supports from the EU, grows year after year. Of the total sum, 410 million crowns is determined for subsidies of non-investment character and 116.7 million CZK should support farmers in purchasing of long-term tangible property. The Ministry, in spite of a general decrease of means, reputedly tried to maintain continuity with the foregoing years in relation of financial means for particular programmes, it stands in the material.

Babiš´s Agrofert lost arbitration with PKN Orlen owing to Unipetrol for 20 billion CZK

A company Agrofert belonging to a billionaire Andrej Babiš lost the last arbitration with Polish oil firm PKN Orlen. In a contention concerning a privatization of a firm Unipetrol it required roughly 20 billion crowns. A counsel of Agrofert will apparently suggest to its client to make an application for cancellation of this findings. It was produced by the Arbitration Court at Economic Chamber of the Czech Republic and the Agrarian Chamber of the Czech Republic. However, it refused to tell close details to the case with reference to the fact that it is a non-public court. The information on result of the contention was confirmed to the editor´s office by a law office Pokorný, Wagner & spol..

Possible competitive person interested in Canadian Potash come into being in Russia

A Russian fertilizer producer Phosagro called upon its domestic partners and competitors to buy together a share in Canadian company Potash Corp, the biggest world producer of artificial fertilizers in the world. Russians would foil an effort of Australian mining concern BHP Billiton to acquire Potash for roughly 39 billion dollars (682 billion CZK). In the meantime, Canadian government should decide till today´s midnight whether it will permit the BHP offer or refuse it, same as the government of the province Saskatchewan. A chairman of the executive council of Phosagro, Vladimir Litviněnko, declared today that he will call upon his old ally, the premiere Vladimír Putin, to support such a step of Russian firms and examine it financial aspects.