Summary of newsmakers from the previous day – 9.11. 2005

Zgarba changes management of PF, three people removed from executive committee

The Presidium of Land Fund (PF) on the proposal from the Minister of Agriculture Petr Zgarba removed today three from present nine members of an executive committee which manages directly the Fund activity by the Presidium´s instructions. The removal concerned the vice-chairman of the committee František Brožík and members Ivan Višňák and Radek Jonáš. Zgarba said it to journalists after today´s extraordinary negotiation of the presidium. A reason of personal changes is that the Fund which controls state agricultural realties enabled to speculators to obtain a profitable pieces of land in environs of Prague and other places inland.

Production of eggs has decreased till September, according to poultry farmers pressure of exports grows

Domestic production of eggs has decreased by eight percents to 1,13 milliard pieces in nine months in comparison with the last year. According to poultry farmers a reason is mainly a growing pressure of cheap imports which aim at the Czech Republic above all from Poland and Lithuania. Till this year´s August it was imported approximatelly so many eggs as in the whole last year, said a chairman of the advisory board of the Czech and Moravian Union of Poultry Farming František Novák. Imports from the beginning of year in comparison with the last year grow and for example in August was imported, according to Novák, over 50 million eggs which is almost a half of domestic monthly production of large-scale breeding. „I think that the trend will continue because moreover chains started to import a significant amount“, he reported and added thet for example most of discounts begin to buywggs from abroad.

Swiss firm is said to think out quick-test for bird flu

A quick dectector of a dangerour virus H5N1 of bird flu is said to be introduced in a market by a Swiss pharmacy firm Roche. It was annouced by the firm itself, well-known as a producer of a flu antivirus preparation Tamiflu. In contradiction to present methods when it is necessary to wait several days for results of tests, the company Roche is said to be able to supply the results in several hours. In contrast to many other ways of viruses, investigation based on research of antibodies against the given virus a procedure of the Swiss firm consists in a detection of presence of genotype of the relevant virus (so called PCR tests).

Union will support end of vineyards

In the European Union a wine overproduction continues. Because of it a reduction of vineyards will be realized here. The Union will support a reduction of growing of non-table grapes with a subsidy 450 million Euro in next years, from it 350 millions will go to vine growers in France, Italy and Spain. In France about 20 thousand hectares of vineyards should end soon and according to experts it is only a beginning of stuctural changes in this sector of European agriculture. The production of wine became non-profitable in some areas in France.