Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 8.8.2006

Hundred-year water in Krkonoše

Špindlerův Mlýn – After Sahara heats a flood broke into the Czech Republic. The most people suffer from it in Krkonoše. Rivers were almost dry a couple days ago, now hundred-year water rolls in their watersheds. Tens of people have to be evacuated by a fire brigade in Jablonec nad Nisou. Level of the river Jizera climbed up to 440 centimeters. Špindlerův Mlýn, the biggest mountain center in Krkonoše was for a short time enisled from the rest of republic. Flooded Elbe undermined a road between Vrchlabí and Špindlerův Mlýn. In the town water drowned cellars of houses and tore down a bridge in ski area Svatý Petr.

Rain damages harvest, farmers already think of subsidies

Rain damages harvest, farmers think of subsidies. According to yesterday’s estimation of statistics farmers will harvest 6,3 million tons of cereals – by a tenth less than last year. However, farmers are convinced that a real harvest will be significantly worse. Therefore the Agrarian Chamber will decide on Thursday whether it will ask for compensation of damages from the state. “An estimation of the Statistic Office is based on data from a half of July. However, extreme droughts continued. And now droughts are replaced by rain which complicates harvest. Quality of cereals will be worse”, Jan Veleba, the president of Chamber says. He pointed out also that Polish farmers want compensation for damages too. They are the biggest competitors of the Czech farmers.

Other deadly case of bird flu in Indonesia

In Indonesia sixteen-year old boy died of bird flu on Monday. It is the 43rd victim of the virus H5N1 in this country. Indonesia became a state with the biggest number of people who died of bird flu. The young man from the town Bekasi eastward from Jakarta came in contacts with ill poultry in his home. The first cases of death of bird flu were recorded in Indonesia in July last year. This year it is the third case. Indonesia in number of death of this disease overtook Vietnam where 42 people have died till this time. This year any deadly case was reported in Vietnam. According to data of the World Health Organization (WHO) at least 135 people died in total in the world of bird flu.

Cannery Hamé battles with lack of raw materials due to drought

A period of drought which affected the whole republic in July hit significantly also production in the food company Hamé. The cannery which belongs among the biggest consumer of agricultural crops in the Czech Republic did not get many raw materials from growers in these days. Due to recent heat and drought and now also floods farmers advise for example a lack of cabbage, carrot and celery. Hamé had problems also in purchase of some kind of fruit. Leoš Novotný, the general manager of Hamé, reported it to ČTK. Unfavourable climatic conditions hurt significantly growers of various agricultural commodities. This year the firm purchased only 80 percent of green peas in comparison with a plan. The remaining crop dried on field because growers did not have enough time to harvest it.