Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 23.2.2008

FAO predicts higher production of cereals for 2008

According to FAO prognosis production of cereals will increase in 2008, however, world prices will remain the same or will be higher. According to the last FAO prognosis (Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations) published in frame of a situation report for foods there is a possibility of significant increase of world production of cereals in 2008, however, international prices of most cereals will remain at the same level or they even will increase. The prognosis stems from the fact that growing areas of perennial wheat increase and weather in main growing areas in Europe and the USA is favourable for the present.

Farmers: plants are short of more moisture

Dryness can help as well as harm. “Westward from our borders this is quite common course of winter and it does not mean any disaster”, a manager of field production of the company PIAS Suchdol Petr Magnát said his opinion. A chief of agricultural and trade company Kačina Jaroslav Havránek is even convinced that warm weather helped the nature. “Everything has relatively normal development except a lack of water”, Havránek added. Just the shortage of moisture could be a problem for farmers. Dry weather enables earlier start of spring works but during a year a problem can appear”.

Net and high-percent bio-fuels should be exempted from consumption tax from 2009

Multiannual program of application of bio-fuels in transport, which the Minister of Agriculture Petr Gandalovič put forward to the government today, counts after 2009 on a tax-relief or tax-exemption in case of consumption tax on mineral oils in net bio-fuels and their high-percent mixtures according to a content of bio-component. The tax advantage should increase demand for bio-fuels so that the country would be able to fulfill aims of the European Union. The program counts on a support of basic bio-fuels which are now used in the Czech Republic. It is dealt especially with methyl ester of rape oil (MEŘO) and bio-ethanol.

Veterinary cooperation between member states functions

On case of Poland in recent days we could convince that a system of veterinary control and mutual information among the EU counties functions. Polish supplier informed on findings of salmonellas in raw poultry meat in the CR so quickly that 3000 kg of meat did not get in circulation. It approved that early information sent in RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) can really achieve desirable effect. It also bears evidence of seriousness of the state veterinary inspection of a member state, in this case of Poland. Every processor and businessman is eminently interested in health-unobjectionability of his production not to endanger health of people.