Summary of newsmakers of the previous day – 3.3.2008

Lesy CR averages wood damaged by storm at hundreds of thousands m3

Meanwhile the state enterprise Lesy České republiky averages damages after Sunday's storm Emma at about hundreds of thousands cubic meters of damaged wood. It is significantly more than first Sunday's estimations, speeking about 50 000 cubic meters, published. People should not enter the damaged forests owing to imminent danger of fall of trees at all. A spokesman of Lesy ČR Radek Drahný said it to ČTK today. The enterprise owns a half of forests in the country. Nevertheless, according to foresters, Emma should not cause damages as the last year's hurricane Kyrill which was blame for five million cubic meters of damaged wood.

Genetically modified potatoes: To eat yes, to grow not

Already next year Czech farmers could harvest genetically modified potatoes contained starch of better quality, so more suitable for human organism. All experts, among others also a chairman of the Central Potato-Growers Union of the Czech Republic František Novák, confirm that it would at the same time enlarge entrepreneurial possibilities of our potato producers. However, bringing out these potatoes with name Amflora on the market is despite positive results of obligatory field experiments blocked by the only one man, an EU commissioner for environment Stavros Dimas.

Germany is the most extensive European outlet for ecological foods

The annual turnover 4,6 bil. EUR on German bio-food market represents 32 % from the total annual turnover of these commodities in EU. Despite high market prices the own production is not able to meet domestic demand for bio-foods and the deficit is solved by import. An annual turnover of ecological foods (biofoods) reached 4,6 bil. EUR on German market which is 32,2 % on the total market with these foods in the European Union. Great Britain is far beyond Germany, with the annual turnover 2,8 bil. EUR (19,6 %); the third place takes Italy with1,9 bil. EUR (13,3 %).

Gandalovič: We will quickly remove damages cause by wind storm Emma

The windstorm Emma, which blew over the Czech Republic during last weekend, caused damages in forests as well as smaller local floods. However, after experience with the last year's hurricane Kyrill the Minister of Agriculture Petr Gandalovič supposes a quick removal of damages. An exact extent of damages in forest is not known in the meantime. “According to last reports which I have available it is dealt with damages in extent of hundreds of thousands cubic meters of wood. So, damages by far do not reach the height of damages which the hurricane Kyrill caused last year”, Gandalovič said.