Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 4. 5. 2009

Farmers will have by quarter less of paperwork

The European Commission prepares for farmers less official documents and less paperwork. It plans to reduce farmers´ administrative burden by as much as quarter by 2012. However, meanwhile it is not sure what forms will disappear to farmers from a table; therefore the Minister of Agriculture in demission Petr Gandalovič adds: “The simplification has to be taken in complex – a legal environment for today´s farmers includes a wide spectrum of legislative – conditions relating to plant production, breeding, environmental and sanitary principles, and others”.

Area of fields with GM corn will probably decrease for the first time since 2005

The area of fields sowed with genetically modified, so called Bt corn, will not probably grow this year for the first time since 2005 when growing of this crop was allowed in the CR. From information provided by seed distributors to the Ministry of Agriculture it results that on the contrary it will apparently decrease. While last year the acreage of land with Bt corn reached 8000 hectares; this year roughly 7000 hectares should be sowed with this crop. It is because of economic factors but also a skeptical approach of many EU countries to this crop, said Petr Vorlíček, a spokesman of the ministry to ČTK today. According to Vorlíček, problems with sale of genetically modified corn persist in the CR.

CTI detected lacks in part of sellers at exhibition Flora Olomouc

More than half of sellers checked by employees of the Czech Trade Inspection (CTI = ČOI – Česká Obchodní Inspekce) at April international flowers exhibition failed. Inspectors found our, for example, incorrect accounting and nonperformance of weight; they collected in fines 8500 crowns on place, Kamila Juhaňáková, a spokeswoman of CTI said to ČTK today. According to her the inspectors checked 13 premises, in eight cases they met lacks. Four of them concerned nonperformance of sale honesty principles. “In two cases there was not information on a way of use. Also in two cases inspectors found out use of officially unverified measures”.

Do you like venison?

Who likes venison maybe will be curious about what was meeting last week in Congress Center in Prague. It was another important event organized in frame of the Presidency by the State Veterinary Administration of the CR. It was dealt with an international action “Hygiene of venison and its safety in food chain”. This conference, better workshop or best work meeting, took place on the 22. – 24. April 2009 in the Congress Center in Prague. Participants were representatives of the European Commission, a director of section E for safety of food chain Eric Poudelet, and a representative of section for meat hygiene Bibiana Janáčková, as well as representatives of veterinary offices from the EU member states.