Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 16.08. 2006

Farmers wait the worst harvest in last thirty years

Most of polled will lose as much as a third of common crop due to vagaries of the weather. Farmers blame drought and rain. They are also worried about rock-oil which is sold for a record price and increases so the total costs by several percents. Nymburk region – „We will lost as much as a third of crop“, most of farmers in Nymburk region complain. After long drought and heavy rains this year’s harvest will be very weak. Almost three-centimeter sprouts appear on grains still on the field. It reduces their quality and they can be sold only as feeding cereals. A similar situation according to representatives of the Agrarian Chamber has not been recorded for thirty years.

Government stroke-off Euro-milliards for countryside

Late but yet. Resigning government in its today’s meeting finally passed a plan of rural development for next years. Now it is going to aim to Brussels. The European Union will send 73 milliard crowns to farmers for these projects in next seven years; other twenty will be add from natural resources. The most part, concretely 55 percent, should go for improvement of environment. Farmers will be able to draw money for example for modernizing of their farm or purchase of machines. The money from the program will be determined also for agriculturally less favourable areas, landscape maintaining, or for support of energy use of biomass. Municipalities can get money for example for building of an information center, a foot-path for tourists, or for reconstruction of objects which then will serve to public. Subsidies should also to help rural inhabitants in projects oriented to enlarge income resources, ČTK reported.

Change of climate influences representation of animals and plants

Warming can be favourable for some invaders, in new conditions e.g. cholera virus can survive in Europe. Regarding good sanitary conditions people do not have to be afraid of its spread at the continent. Also conditions of insect life change. A period with high temperatures is still longer and some species can produce three generation instead of two. Places of occurrence of certain species are geographically moving. For example praying mantis which had formerly ranged mainly in area of south-Austrian Steiermark, moves farther northward.

Sugar: Production of bio-ethanol reduces pressure on market

Sugar beet growers in the EU will face hard time. A new market arrangement brings lower economic results which are compensated by compensation payments only partially. Furthermore it reduced quotas. It is comprehensible that in this regard to look in the future optimistically is hard. However: There is a gleam of hope. Experts see on international sugar market in a longer perspective a price gap upwards. Because a supply outhang should reduce. Already in running season a decrease of global reserves shows by c. 2 million tons in comparison with the previous year.