Summary of newsmakers from the previous day - 22. 8. 2005

Flora enthused thirty-five thousand visitors

More than 35 thousand visitors visited Olomouc fairground during four days where a summer phase of the biggest and oldest Czech flower show in the CR - the international garden show Flora finished on Sunday. A spokeswoman of the Fairground Flora Zuzana Studená said it to Právo on Sunday an added that 300 exhibitors and salers from the CR, Slovakia and Poland participated in shows connected with Summer horticultural markets. According to her also composition of visitors was international. „There were many Poles and Slovaks and as we made sure, most of them were satisfied“, stated Studená. „We carry business and it is not easy to arrange a time to be able to go somewhere. However, we wanted to see Flora and it was really worth seeing“, affirmed for example Zuzana Mihalová from Slovak Bošác, whose the biggest hobby is flower arranging.

Growers in Louny region have already harvested rape, yields are average

Growers in Louny region have already harvested rape; a most part of perennial and spring barley is also indoors. However, the weather is unfavourable for harvest meanwhile. Yields reach average values but grain quality decreases, said a director of Louny agricultural agency Jiří Runza to the ČTK today. Perennial wheat stays at fourty percents from total 22 600 hectares. Spring wheat is successfuly harvested only from 530 hectares from total 3 800 hectares of planted areas. Most of rye, oat and triticale crop is still on fields. „Owing to the weather cereals ripened by about ten days later than in other years. Harvest works are further delayed by rain. Therefore it is impossible to estimate when this year´s harvest will successfully finish“, said Runza.

SZIF: Farmers put forward about one percent of applications for dotations with delay

Farmers put forward about 240 applications for key dotations with delay this year which was a comparable number with the last year. It is dealt approximately with one percent from the total number, said the State agricultural intervetion fund (SZFI). Farmers asked for direct payments from the EU, their national evening up and for a contribution to farming in less favourable areas in proper term from April 20 to May 16. After that they could asked still till June 9 but with a sanction. The mentioned dotations represent more than 15 milliard crowns. In the proper term farmers put forward about 20 000 applications. SZFI, which manages the dotations, registers about 20 900 registered land users but not all apply for the dotations.

Liberec region wants to enlarge it agrarian portal

Liberec region wants to enlarge its agrarian informational portal APIC to enable a cooperation to farmers in Liberec region with colleagues in neighbouring countries. The project will cost 2,7 million crowns, from it rouhly a half million crowns should be paid by the region and other 136 000 crowns by the state. „The rest of means is applied from the European program Interreg“, said a deputy mayor for agriculture in Liberec region Radim Zika. The region opened the internet pages APIC (Agrarian Consultant and Information Centre) last year in May as first in the Czech Republic.