Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 17. 9. 2009

Farmers are at hard times

This year is very difficult for farmers. According to Ludmila Holadová from the Agrarian Chamber in Most, it is supposed that the next year will be even harder. Despite the fact that farmers achieved the highest hectare yields in rape over the last twenty years. Prices of cereals and rape are very low, not only in cereals but also in other commodities, especially in milk. The prices move at a level lower by as many as 40% lower than in foregoing years which will influence above all a financial management. “Milk prices (farmers get 5,80 crowns for 1 liter) are deep below production costs which is about 8,50 crowns for 1 liter, are devastating for farmers”.

Farmers´ petition for support of milk prices was signed by 15 808 people

A petition, which should help farmers in a fight with low milk buy-out prices, was signed already by 15 808 people during one month. Farmers require an even keeping of the law on process and the law on protection of competition, and they handed it over with the signatures to the Speaker Přemysl Sobotka (ODS) today. Because there is more than 10  000 signatures under the petition, the upper chamber will discuss it at some of its meetings. “Our aim certainly is not to achieve some price regulation in the Czech Republic”, a president of Regional Agrarian Council of the region Liberec, Robert Erlebach, told today when he handed over the petition sheets to Sobotka.

Three million liters of milk poured on fields in protest in Belgium

Belgian farmers poured three million liters of milk on fields in protest against its low buy-out prices. The protest action took place near a town Ciney in a south of the country. The devalued milk represents its daily production in Wallonia, so francophonic part of Belgium. A president of Belgian organization of milk producers Erwin Schöpges told that farmer would continue in protests “till the end”. Reputedly, the present prices cover only a half of production costs. The European Federation of Milk Producers, whose member the Belgian organization is too, announced that over 40 000 European producers strike now in protest against low milk buy-out prices.

Buy-out prices of red wine go down and vine growers rage

There is surplus of red wine. Therefore a price for buy out of grapes decreases. Growers fight uneven battle with foreign competition. As much as two thirds of red grape production probably will stay to hang in a vine-yard of Vojtěch Kuriál from Poštorná. Also other vine growers can expect a similar fate. A grape price still decreases. Often there is no point in picking them from vine-yards. “It is a murder of Moravian vine growers”, Kuriál noted. The price was decreased for example by Valtické viné sklepy. According to a marketing manager of a company of David Šťastný they simply had to. However, also other vine growings in the region move towards similar steps.