Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 20. 1. 2009

Wage tariffs in agriculture will increase in average by 3,52 percents

Tariff wages of agricultural employees will grow in average by 3,52 percents this year. A collective agreement, signed by representatives of agrarian trade unions and agricultural entrepreneurs on Monday, presumes it. Representatives of both sides confirmed it after mutual negotiation to ČTK. Increase in basic wage tariffs is the only change in the collective agreement in comparison with the last year´s one which except the average growth of wages by 7,2 percents increased also extra pays for after hours and weekends. Tariffs growth should be higher in labour professions where salaries will increase year-on-year in average by 4,46 percents, in higher salary brackets wages should grow by 2,6 percents.

Presidency opened discussion on proposal of regulation against illegal timber harvesting

A discussion on principles of a system which should prevent illegal timber harvesting was started by Czech presidency on Monday at the Council of Ministers of Agriculture and Fishery. However, according to the minister Gandalovič the presidency does not want to achieve legal origin guarantees of wood and wooden products placing on the EU market at cost of disproportionate administrative burden or threat of competitiveness of wood in comparison with other materials. Duties which firm trading with wood and wooden products on the market of Union have to perform will be set by a new regulation of the European Parliament and Council (14882/08).

Union will hold farmers, it will start subsidizing of milk export

The European Union did not support milk export for six years. However, with a stress of crisis it again decided to give back the special subsidy to farmers. Thereby cattle breeders will keep the same price for liter of milk on European market as today and thanks to generous contributions they will sell surpluses without difficulties on outside-European markets. However, there they will make troubles to local farmers who will not get a similar financial injection. “It is supposed that dairymen will spend all accessible subsidies and other will be discussed today”, Petr Gandalovič, the present chairman of the Council of Ministers of the EU today for MF DNES.

Will agriculture do without diesel?

Plant oil is in connection with increasing prices of fuels an attractive fuel for farmers. However, there is many obstructions for its spread from legislative through tax to technical ones. Many producers of motors for agricultural machines try to adapt them to burning of methyl esters of plant oils. After decades of an exclusive position of diesel, agriculture again engaged in production of raw materials for production of motor fuels. Main reasons for that are that resources of rock oil are limited and fuels from rock oil irreversibly transport carbon from underground reservoirs in the atmosphere where in a form of carbon dioxide it works as greenhouse gas accelerating process of global warming.