Summary of newsmakers from the previous day 16.6.2005

Kofola will open new plant in Poland – the biggest Czech investment

A new plant in Polish Kutno will be opened by the Czech producer of non-alcoholic beverages Kofola today. The plant lies in an industrial area near Warsaw. Its building cost Krnov’s firm 15 million Euros, so about 450 million crowns. It is dealt with the biggest Czech investment in Poland. ‘Production lines capacities in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia came short of Polish market interest,’ explained representatives of the firm the question, why they had decided to build a new plant just in Poland.

Number of hop gardens decreases; experts fear for beer quality

Farmers grow hops at the least acreage in last 134 years. A beer quality will not be already threatened. However, experts mean that in five years beer-drinkers will have found a lack of Zatecky – Saaz (CZ-SA, a Czech variety of hop). In comparison with last year just the traditional Zatec’s hops decreased, say by 172 hectares. Farmers grow hops on acreage of 5695 hectares this year. In 1871 there were 5300 hectares of hop garden in Bohemia; since that time their acreages extended regularly. On the contrary, number of hop gardens decreases in last years. ‘If this trend will not change, up to ten years the acreages of Zatecky – Saaz could fall rapidly, ‘ corroborated the fact a secretary of the Hop Growers Union, Zdeněk Rosa.

Millions litres of milk wander over the frontier back and forth

Domestic farmers export milk to Germany but this product starts to wander also in opposite direction. ‘Supply price rose that much in our republic that it is already profitable to take part of milk from Germany’, explains Michal Teplý, a manager of the biggest diary works Madeta. However, at the same time Southern-Bohemian farmers, who some time ago withdrew from the contract with Madeta due to a low supply price, still carry milk to German firm Goldsteig. ‘Decisive is the market; some time ago we got an offer of a better price from Germany,’ says Karel Bednář, a manager of milk coop Jih.

EU will support food products, however not Czech or Slovak

The European Commission agreed to a new package of programs determined for a support of promotion and sale of agricultural and food products from member states on internal market of “twenty-five”. Among 14 states, to which the Union will contribute for promotion by 26 million Euros, also novices were ranked at the first time, however without The Czech Republic and Slovakia. Neither the Czech Republic not Slovakia applied for the support at all. Only Hungary, Poland and Cyprus propound their programs, so that the EC could help only to them’, said a source from the Commission to the ČTK.