Summary of newsmakers from the previous days –16.-18.12. 2005

Export help farmers to sell record harvest of potatoes

Export helps farmers to sell this year’s record harvest of potatoes. Potatoes are carried above all to Slovakia, Hungary and Poland but also to other European countries. According to first estimations about 50 000 tons from this year’s harvest could be sold abroad. After today’s meeting of a presidium of the Central Potato-Growers Union CR its chairman, František Novák, said it to the ČTK. “If a current pace of export will be kept, this estimation could be exceeded”, reported Novák.

Prices of cattle decreased in the week, pigs raised in prices

Buy-out prices of agricultural products developed in different ways in this week. While prices of cattle decreased, other monitored commodities were more expensive in comparison with the last week, e.g. pigs and chickens. Farmers got more money for wheat and milk. The Czech Statistic Office found out that a price of potatoes stagnated. However, Movement of prices was insignificant.

Vegetable and some kind of fruit raised in prices during a week

Prices of vegetable raised during the last week. A price of paprikas increased by more than four percents, price of tomatoes by two percents, carrot and potatoes were more expensive too. The ČSO marked a slight growth of price in a new investigation also in fruit. People paid at average more for bananas and oranges, only apples cheapened. Then other foods including meat do not change their prices too much. Pork and chickens were slightly cheaper. On the contrary, rump steak cost by 0,2 percent more than a week ago and customers paid at average over 163 crowns for a kilogram.

Chicquita: Prices of bananas in Europe raised by 21 percent since October

Prices of potatoes which aim at the European Union increased during October and November by 21 percent at average. It was announced today by an American company Chiquita Brands International which is an important supplier of bananas on European market. Chiquita reported that one of reasons of raise in prices is a fight of importers for licences. Hereat, the total volume of bananas which got to a market of the European Union, Norway, Island and Switzerland in October and November fell by three percents.