Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 1.11. 2006

New type of bird flu

Fuťien virus differs from former types of viruses originating from Hong Kong and Vietnam. Scientists founded out a new type of bird flu which infects people and animals and probably is resistant to present vaccines (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2006;10). A new variety of bird flue is caused by so called Fuťien virus H5N1 (by the Chinese province Fuťien).

Ministress of Agriculture visited farmers in borderland

The Ministress of Agriculture MVDr. Milena Vicenová accompanied by the head of counsel Ing. Michal Pospíšil, CSc. visited on invitation of the Association of Marginal Areas five farms in Česká Lípa region on Saturday the 21st October, 2006 to acquaint with a situation of farmers in vulnerable area of former Sudetenland. The region Česká Lípa belongs neither to intensive nor less favourable areas. In the whole region there is many cadastres with a high ratio of permanent grass stands, however these cadastres dropped from LFA areas in 2004 and farmers feel to be disadvantaged by rights because they can not draw LFA supports.

Experts chose winner of wine competition Top 77

Independent experts evaluated the most successful samples of the best Moravian wines in the competition Top 77 which is the second biggest wine exhibition in the Czech Republic. 410 samples from 102 producers got in a short list. Vine-growers entered at the exhibition the most samples in its history. “This year's yields are indeed a bit lower but grapes ripen better and an excellent year can be estimated. I would like to appeal to vine-growers to do not be afraid to enter also dry natural wines more often in the competition”, said the chairman of evaluation commission Eduard Postbiegel.

MZe: Still 1,1 mld. CZK is missing for maximal direct payments

Roughly 1,1 milliard crowns is still missing in the Ministry of Agriculture to be able to even up next year direct payments to farmers to 70 percent of the old EU member states level. According to the spokeswoman Táňa Králová, the office wants to get 500 million from the Land Fund. The remaining 600 millions should be then solved by an amendment within hearing of budget in Parliament.

Source: Agris, 1.11.2006