Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 22.1.2007

Gandalovič negotiated with general director of Lesy ČR on solution of calamity situation

The Minister of Agriculture negotiated today with a general director of the firm Lesy CR František Koníček on solution of a calamity in state forests after a Thursday hurricane. As a spokeswoman of the ministry Táňa Králová informed after the negotiation, tomorrow the minister wants to meet head officers of particular regions and on Wednesday he will put forward a proposal for declaration of emergency conditions in the most afflicted areas to the government.

MZP prolongs term for applications for dotation for areas afflicted by floods in 2006

The Ministry of Environment CR (MZP) announce that applications for a financial dotation from a sub-program “State support of the Ministry of Environment within renewal of area afflicted by flood in 2006” can be deliver to the 31st of March 2007. A director of external affairs of MZP Jakub Kašpar said it today. Rule how an applicant should proceed are placed on web sites of the Ministry (www.env.cz - in a section Environment/Protection of nature and landscape/Dotations and programs in OP/Documents - Directive of MZP No. 12 + Supplement No.1).

Ten new enterprises of ecological farming acceded in region Olomouc

Propagation, qualified consultancy and mainly advice increase of dotation tariffs for ecological agriculture (EA) is what made 10 new enterprises last year to transfer to EA. But, promises, that in frame of the Program of Rural Development (PRD) dotation tariffs will be increased from 2007 for this way of management favourable towards nature and landscape, seems to be empty meanwhile. A former ministress of agriculture Milena Vicenová unexpectedly stopped opening of this important EU program even despite the fact that ministerial workers claim that the program (PRD) is prepared to be set off.

Corn weakened

After a significant increase of corn prices from beginning of last week corn weakened by 1,3 percent in Friday trading. It is expected that after an intense increase of corn prices a demand for this commodity will decrease. Cattle breeders who use corn as feed will likely reduce numbers of bred animals or they will use some alternative feed. The price growth was caused by WASDE report according to which a high demand for corn for need of ethanol production will lead to a fall of world reserves at the end of this season to the lowest level over last 29 years.