Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 12.10. 2006

Leaving of Eastern Sugar will harm inland sugar-beet growing and sugar industry

A planned intention of sugar industry company Easter Sugar to terminate sugar production in the Czech Republic is very unpleasant news. As a spokeswoman of the Ministry of Agriculture CR (MZe) Táňa Králová emphasized today, this step “means undoubtedly damage to interests of the local sugar-beet growing and sugar industry. With leaving of the group Eastern Sugar, which owns here sugar refineries in Němčice in Haná, in Kojetín and Hrochův Týnec, the inland production would decrease by 102,5 thousand tons of sugar. It represents a share in the national sugar quota 22,5 percents. Our country will lose self-sufficiency in sugar production. The national quota enables to the Czech Republic to produce 454 thousand tons of sugar yearly, whereas the consumption is 380 thousand tons. To meet it it would be necessary to import 28 thousand tons of sugar.

Other resources to even up direct payment do exist

Other financial resources for additional payments to direct payments for next year have been successfully secured by the Ministress of Agriculture Milena Vicenová. Táňa Králová, the spokeswoman of the Ministry informed on it today. Thanks to savings in the budget of agricultural chapter means for direct payments will be strengthened by 400 million crowns. The Ministress also counts that a certain part of missing resources will be covered by the Land Fund CR. She negotiates further on other possibilities to even up direct payments next year to a maximal possible height, it means to 70 percent level in original EU countries. The Ministress Vicenová does not agree with protests which were advised to organize by the Agrarian Chamber CR.

Právo: Czech Republic looks for ally against higher beer tax

Czech offices try to bloc the European Union’s plans for extraordinary taxation of beer. Brussels argue that the rise in tax will lead to a fall of alcohol consumption and sanitation of the population. Neither diplomats nor producers agree with it and they look for allies to fight for beer in the entire EU. Today’s Právo wrote it. The EU suggestions would raise the price of beer by at least thirty hallers. According to the director of Czech Beer and Malt Association Jan Veselý it would be by more, as much as by one crown per a half-liter bottle. Even a higher value added tax and producers margin would reflect in the increase of the price.

Supermarkets stop to sell temporarily cheese imitations

The Association of Consumers Protection CR (SOS) and the Environmental Law Service (EPS) have criticized recently shopkeepers through a way of sell of milk products imitations. According to these organizations the imitations are often sold together with true milk products whereby they can deceive their customers. According to EPS this is typical behaviour of the chains Delvita and Ahold. Therefore EPS layers appeal to both firms to adjust the sale of the milk products imitations. Delvita is about to exclude from its assortment products Cihla na smažení (Cihla for frying), Alternative – a cheese imitation, and Uzený Alternative (Smoked Alternative). These products serves as an alternative to milk cheese products and are produced from plant raw materials. Delvita wants to start selling these products again when it together with EPS and SOS solve a system of their marking and placement.

Source: Agris, 13.10.2006