Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 8. 6. 2009

OECD, FAO: Prices of cereals will raise and more sway

Prices of cereals on world market will more sway in the future and it is possible that they will keep at the present levels or they will grow more. Representatives of some organizations monitoring trends in agriculture agreed on it at the World Cereal Forum in Saint-Petersburg. “The price variability will probably increase in the future”, Alexander Sarris, who leads a department for business and markets in frame of the UNO Food and Agriculture Organization, told. According to him, new factors will influence the price development, so after 40 to 50 years of a relative price stability prices started to sway more significantly.

New minister of agriculture exceeds its mandate

I am not able to judge objectively how well politicians hit other personalities on ministry posts in a half-clerical Fisher´s government; in case of the Minister of Agriculture it did not turn out well too much. Despite an expectation that Jakub Šebesta will be a classical “maintenance” minister without bigger ambitions to change something fundamentally in some one or other direction. The contrary is the case. Immediately after his arrival at the ministerial post the minister introduced an ambition to stop all investment actions connected with realization of so called land adjustments which is a fundamental strategic decision.

Number of sheep decreased for the first time since 2000 in the Czech Republic this year

This year numbers of sheep in the ČR slightly decreased for the first time since 2000 from when they have continuously grown. It results from data of the Czech Statistic Office. In April this year 183  084 sheep was raised; approximately by 500 less than a year ago. According to Vít Mareš from the Sheep and Goats Breeders Union it is not possible to estimate now whether it is dealt with a start of a long-term trend or only one-shot decrease. The present increase in the number of sheep could stop, in Mareš´s opinion, owing to a transition of the European Union from subsidies paid per an animal to subsidies on an area of managed land.

Poland wants to enforce regulation of food prices in EU

Trade networks are against any intervention on the market. Polish Ministry of Agriculture suggest so that authorities would regulate food prices in the all European Union. The reason is huge differences in margins. The proposal has already got a support of ten member states, for example Denmark, Finland, Portugal, Germany and Great Britain. The European Commission should put forward during several months a report which concerns the food market. It will contain also information whether trade networks do not misuse their position.