Summary of newsmakers from the previous day 17.10. 2005

Increase of direct payments to 63 % is secured for 2006

A negotiation of the Minister of Agriculture Petr Zgarba with the Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek and the president of Agrarian Chamber Jan Veleba brought a significant shift in favour of direct payments for Czech farmers in 2006. They should reach 63 % level valid in the original European fifteen, so by only 2 % less than the state can even up maximally to farmers. From the negotiation a conclusion arose so that the Ministry of Agriculture propounded a proposal of government regulation for a transfer of means from the Ministry of Finances to the Chapter of agriculture in a height of 2 mld. CZK in November 2005.

Many agricultural companies in Haná wait for intervention purchase

Many agricultural companies from Haná wait with sale of food wheat for an intervention purchase which will be started by the State Agricultural Intervention Fund in November. They have not turned the harvest into cash yet due to low buy-out prices. According to a management of the Agrarian Chamber (AK) many growers risk a devaluation of cereals because they have not suitable stocks. A director of Olomouc AK Miloš Porč said today to the ČTK that an average price of food wheat in the region stagnates from the end of August on 2 800 crowns for ton which is about 400 crowns less than last year.

CR intensifies prevention against importation of bird flu

The Czech Republic intensifies a prevention measure against importation of bird flu which advanced towards the European Union´s borders, when the dangerous virus H5N1 was confirmed in Romania. Beside valid bans of import of risk commodities from afflicted area also examination of birds and poultry extends. The State Veterinary Administration (SVS) also prepares a recommendation to breeders. According to the chief of SVS Milan Malena, the importation of disease can not be excluded, but first of all it is dealt with a veterinary problem.

EU wants to replace a part of fuels with biofuels; the CR decreases use of biofuels

Biofuels in the CR don´t increase, on the contrary they decrease. The Czech Republic undertook that it will use biofuels in still bigger rate. In 2006, a share of methyl ester of rape oil (MEŘO) in the total sale of rock-oil 1,56 percents and a share of bio-ethanol in sale of petrol 1,82 percent. In 2010 MEŘO should be 1,76 % and bio-ethanol 2,17 %. Already today it is clear that the aim for 2006 can not be reached, only if bio-components were imported, writes an actual edition of the weekly Euro.