Summary of newsmakers of the previous day - 8.3.2007

Development of ecological agriculture in CR is endangred

Ecological agriculture in all of the Czech Republic is in a fundamental danger due to planned changes of compensation payments from he Rural Development Program. According toa new proposal of the Ministry of Agriculture for height of compensation payments from the Rural Development Plan (RDP) a compensation per one hectare of ecologically farmed areas should be 70,51 EUR which represents with this year's exchange rate a sum of 1 940 KCZ/ha. So, a compensation decreases by710 CZK in comparison with the rate originally approved by the government in height of 2 650 CZK. The rate 2 650 CZK was calculated for the Ministry of Agriculture by its own Research Institute of Agriculture Economics (VÚZE) and the Ministry accepted it. The government of CR approved it and on behalf of the Czech Republic it sent it to Brussels.

Lesy CR chose definitive solution of situation after disaster

Lesy ČR (Forests of the Czech Republic) as a submitter have decided in a legal way to cancel commission annunciated for complex forest works for the year 2007. In frame of contractual proceeding under the law on public commissions it will be realized in the entire managed territory. A reason is a devastating wind storm which hit our republic and cased a significant change of subject and conditions of performance the commission which had been competed. In relation to less damaged SÚJ this procedure will reduce volumes of purposeful timber harvesting so that forests would not been harvested at the expense of the future.

Subdealers and businessmen capitalize on potatoes

After last year's bad crops people in south-Bohemian shops pay often the same price for potatoes as for oranges. A kilo in some chains costs even about twenty crowns. The harvest of potatoes was bad in all of Europe as well as in Germany, the Netherlands and Poland from where we import them. Thereby he higher prices of this crop-plant are given, a technician from the agri-coop Rodvínov in Jindřichův Hradec region Pavel Vokuš sent for Haló newspaper in a press declaration. To come and buy potatoes right in the cooperative pays off to common people - a kilo is sold here only for eight crowns. Farmers from Rodvínov offer potatoes in a classical form only to small-scale consumers now. We supply only peeled potatoes to wholesale customers. By that we increase an added value and can sell them for higher prices, Vokuš added.

Reform of European wine market will not damage vine-growers and wine-makers from CR

A reform of European viticulture which should be passed at the end of 2008 should not cause a crisis to Czech vine-growers and wine-makers. Its new proposal aiming towards a common organization of wine markets in the EU should be ready before this year's holidays in ideal case and than the European Parliament should approve it. Already last month it adopted a resolution in which it criticized the last year's proposal of EU and suggested fundamental adjustments. “We agree with all except division of money to member states”, the chairman of Vine-growers Union of the CR, Jiří Sedlo, said to journalists today.