Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 14.6.2006

Food and beverages have still smaller share in expenditures of households

Czech households spend still smaller part of their total expenditures for purchase of food, beverages and tobacco. These items made at average about 21,6 percent of their spending last year while in 1989 it was one third. It results from data which ČTK was given by the Agricultural Union. According to specialists this development shows evidence of standard of living increase because the richer is a society the smaller part of its incomes needs to ensure foods and the more it has for purchase of non-essential goods. However, also changes in Czech food have an influence.

How much biofuels for means of transport working can be produced on fields in the Czech Republic?

The question was invoked by election program of the Green party which promises to ensure 25 % of petrol and oil from bio-fuels for cars till 2020. A question arises whether it is real. Although 13 – 14 year is not a short term to ignore possible adaptation reactions, some facts are, however, given. A basic question is how much free cereals for production of fuels are in the CR disposable. In 1989 a surplus of cereals with full CR self-sufficiency in foods of our climatic zone was small. Today is considerable in consequence of food consumption decrease, especially meat, and CR change to a food importer, especially from the EU, on base of preterm opening CR food market for foreign competition and selected policy of transformation. It is slightly decreased by fall of hectare yields. The cereal surplus depends, of course, also on (non-)fertility of year.

More wine than we drink aims to Czech market

A competitive fight on Czech market with wine intensifies. Import of wines from abroad increases and at the same time prices fall. Concerning the amount of imported wine from abroad, the Czech Republic is among the European Union states already in the sixth place. Meanwhile above all cheaper, table wines are imported. However, by tens of liters of wine monthly more than people can drink aim at the Czech market. It leads to still decreasing prices.

Next government has to consider responsibly other measures to protect climate

Libor Ambrozek, the Minister of Environment, in reaction to today’s action of Greenpeace invite d politicians compiling a program of new government to devote themselves thoroughly to problems of climate protection. “Climate protection was one of my main priorities in a function of minister. A new government has to continue in work of its predecessor and pass other measures – first of all an ecological tax reform”.

Source: Agris, 15.6.2006