Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 31.7. – 2.8. 2009

Financial help to flood-afflicted areas

Exactly a month after the first help, on Wednesday the 29th of July 2009, representatives of The Regional Agrarian Chamber sallied out in areas afflicted by June floods and handed over a financial aid there which the region Hradec Králové succeeded to collect. In total, farmers sent more than 700 000 CZK on the flood account of the Regional Agrarian Chamber. This help will be distributed to concrete families in the area on Nový Jičín.

EU considers enlargement of “green” criteria outside bio-fuels area

The European Commission has opened consultations with regard to fight against indirect changes of cultivated land caused by bio-fuels production. The Commission thinks of an enlargement of criteria determined for the bio-fuels area in more general use for common agricultural commodities. In December 2008, EU managers came to an agreement respecting the instruction on renewable energies which requires so that each member state would secure 10 % of its fuel transport needs from renewable resources by the year 2020. Renewable resources in this sense include bio-fuels, hydrogen resources and green power.

Farmers postpone purchase of machines for better times

The economic crisis strikes even upon sellers of agricultural machines. In this year´s first half-year, 908 tractors were sold in the Czech Republic which is against last yeat by more than third less. Also sale of harvester treshers decreased roughly by a third to 136. It results from data of the Agricultural Machines Importers Association and the Agricultural and Forestry Machines Association. From point of view of sales of agricultural machines, the last year was record.

Updating of public notice on identification and registration of animals and on registration of farms and persons

With effect from 20.7.2009, the Public Notice 136/2004 Col. issued on base of the Law on improvement, breeding and registration of animals 154/2000 Col. was changed in some passages by the Public Notice 213/2004/EU, above all to be in compliance with new EU legal regulations, e.g. the Regulation 21/2004/EU on determination of identification system and registration of sheep and goats, and the Regulation 504/2008/EU which implement instructions of the Council 90/426/EHS and 90/427//EHS as for being identification methods.