Summary of newsmakers from the previous day 3.8.2005

Ministry will suggest building of store for as much as one million tons of cereals

The Ministry of Agriculture wants to enforce a building of a state store for 500 000 to one million tons of cereals. The state had problems to secure contracts for storing of this year's harvest which farmers will sell to the intervention fund. An actual estimation of the harvest is maximally 7,3 million tons of cereals and 400 000 tons of corn for grain, said the Minister of Agriculture Petr Zgraba to journalists today in Brno.

Custom officers will start hard checks in restaurant

As much as a third of tradesmen did not deliver custom officers lists of non-stamped alcohol in time, without which they can't sell old reserves of spirits from July. For a sale of non-stamped spirits which did not pass through stocktaking, entrepreneurs are threatened with a fine from several thousands to a million crowns and further also a confiscation and a forfeiture. A time for delivering the lists ended on Monday; the customs administration will announce official results of stocktaking today. In some regions custom officers will start random checks of tradesmen and restaurants operators already this week.

New stores should help to potato growers

Domestic potato growers entered after last year's unprofitable year in a new harvest with record-low prices. They get maximally 2,60 CZK for a kilogram of potatoes, in comparison with the last year roughly one half. Their position should be improved thanks to new stores which will preserve a production from old harvest till a summer. “Also prepared campaign is to help the sale”, said the chairman of the Central potato growing union František Novák. Except old reserves from last year's record harvest also cheap exports from the EU and Egypt share in the fall of price, which is in this period obviously the lowest in many years.

Petr Zgarba: Is every support from Satan?

Sometimes some people argue that it is rather disadvantage for a politician, but I have a quite good memory. So, I remember very well how passionately my predecessors were criticized in a function of minister of agriculture for insufficient supporting of our foods. That they strive a little to advantage them against a competition from rushing from outside.