Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 11. 11. 2008

International workshop devoted to eco-schools takes place in Prague

An international workshop determined for representatives of public service and pedagogues from kindergartens devoted to eco-schools – eco-kindergartens practicing ecological education takes place at the Municipal Council in Prague on Thursday and Friday. The seminar concentrates on delimitation of problems connected with operation of various types of ecologically specialized kindergartens and on implementation of eco-educational programs and principles in activities of kindergartens. „At the same time the workshop will introduce a good practice of the Federal Republic of Germany in this area, especially with focus on so called forest kindergartens which is very inspiring“ , a director of environmental education department of the Ministry of Environment Tomáš Kažmiersky says.

End of black market on farms

The Ministry of Agriculture prepares a public notice which will moderate the current often bureaucratic conditions and will enable farmers to process and sell milk and meat products directly on farm or to supply them on a local market. Owners of small food premises and above all farmers who want or already supply their products in a regional network will not have to battle with uselessly severe veterinary and sanitary codes. While in Austria, Germany and Slovenia there are small regional farms which process their production on their own and sale it on a local market, in the Czech Republic something similar is not possible.

Meat from the Czech Republic is not in great demand due to cheap imports

According to economists a financial crisis will afflict the area of agriculture and food industry relatively the least. Despite the fact even the biggest inland players, including the agrarian holding Agrofert of Andrej Babiš, have to reduce their production. It is e.g. because of last year´s extremely high prices of rock oil and paradoxically also expensive own raw materials. Expensive feeding mixtures bought last year take profits to meat-combines now. Last year prices of cereals and other raw materials moved abnormally high and breeders project now these costs in their prices, however, abroad meat can be purchased cheaper, so shops buy cheaper goods from imports.

Farmers pour milk on fields, they suffer from low buy-out prices

Farmers on a farm in Klopina-Veleboř poured thousand liters of milk. They protest in this way against low buy-out prices. “They mind proceedings of trade chains on which lower pricess press through dairy works. Prices are low and still decrease. Already now they are too low to cover farmers´ production costs. “The current buy-out prices of milk are unprofitable which can lead to a liquidation of breedings”, said a director of the regional Agrarian Chamber (ACH) Radek Musil in Šumperk to journalists today. “Today´s action is not aimed against dairy works. They are pushed to decreasing of buy-out prices by chains.”