Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 6. 5. 2009

EC has not passed programs for support of farmers and food producers yet

2,6 billion crowns is in the air. The European Commission has not approved starting of programs of the Subsidiary Rural and Guarantee Forestry Fund (PGRLF) to help farmers and food-producers afflicted with an economic crisis yet. A secretary of PGRLF director Vladimír Suchý confirmed it at May beginning. According to the last expression of the fund director Martin Karban, four programs should be passed till April end. By means of them farmers and processors will be able to spend money to support operation credits in total height of 2,6 billion crowns.

Bio-foods are in fashion in Poland; sale grows even at time of crisis

Sale of bio-foods in Poland grows despite the fact that the country fight with impacts of an economic and financial crisis. Earlier most products from organic farms aimed at export and bio-products were rare in supermarkets. Now, they are offered by most of trade networks. The company Euromonitor International estimates that bio-products for almost 35 million Euro (roughly 930 million crowns) will be sold in Poland this year which will be by about 20 percent more than last year. A similar sale growth is expected also by producers, however, they do not hurry with news on market owing to the economic crisis. Reputedly, customers dislike to experiment at the time of crisis.

Growing imports of basic foods liquidate domestic producers

Information of the Czech Statistic Office about a development of agriculture in the first quarter of this year shows that this branch of national economy continues in decrease and it is on the way to unusual bankruptcy. It is no more a guarantee of food safety (coverage of need of basic foods from domestic production) because a share of imported mat, meat and milk products in the total domestic consumption is still higher and higher. Producers and processors of agricultural products are not able to compete with foreign (often highly subsidized) products promoted in the Czech Republic already monopolistically by foreign chains.

Consumer inquiry: KLASA means added value

According to a new inquiry of a company TNS AISA carried out in the spring 2009 among women – consumers, the marl KLASA remains the best known appraisal of Czech food products. In shopping more than third of customers looks up it and a half of respondents is even willing to pay more for the goods with the mark KLASA. The mark KLASA is bestowed by the Minister of Agriculture to quality food and agricultural products already since 2003. The mark is bestowed always for 3 years. At the beginning of 2009, the company TNS AISA asked to realize other inquiry wave which followed the previous waves of observing of this mark development in 2005 and 2006.