Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 19. 11. 2009

MZe could increase means for evening-up of direct payments

The Ministry of Agriculture (MZe) is able in frame of the department to increase means for evening-up of direct payments to farmers by two billion to 3,5 billion crowns next year. An economic deputy minister of agriculture Oldřich Černoch told it at meeting of the parliamentary agricultural committee on Wednesday. According to EU rules, the state can pay off as many as 7,8 billion crowns to farmers in frame of evening-up next year. However, an economical state budget for the next year counts on more than five times lower sum. From two-billion amount the office plans to release 1,5 billion from means of the Land Fund and a half billion from the Subsidiary and Guarantee Rural and Forestry Fund.

SZIF started to pay off national evening-up payments to farmers

The State Agricultural Intervention Fund (SZIF) started to pay off the national evening-up to a uniform payment per area, the most significant agricultural subsidy to farmers. On the day of starting of its payment, more than 33 million crowns ended on accounts of first fifteen applicants. In total the fund received 24.693 applications this year; farmers can obtain as many as 6,3 billion crowns on their base. Vilém Frček, the spokesman of the fund said it to ČTK today. Applicants for the payment per agricultural land will get the biggest part of evening-up payments (marked also a top-up). In total the fund will pay off 4,2 billion crowns to them.

CSO: Input prices in agriculture decrease slower than buy-out prices.

Input prices in agricultural production decreased by 10,6 percents in the 3rd quarter year-on-year, it results from data of the Czech Statistic Office (CSO). Prices of artificial fertilizers and soil improving means decreased the most, they were lower by quarter. Prices of feeds decreased by 19,5 and prices of breeding and production animals by 14,2 percents. However, the decrease of production costs is slower than decrease in buy-out prices of agricultural commodities. Their fall lasts already for more than a year; they decreased by more than fifth at average from July to September.

Enlargement of project “Scool milk” in EU

The European Commission has decided on enlargement of support of school milk with aim to stabilize the milk market and to support children´s interest in milk. The project “School Milk Scheme” was proposed in July 2008 (see the Press release: Milk into schools: New regime supports significantly consumption and healthier consumer habits) so that milk products would be more attractive for children. According the new proposal, in case of fermented milk products, the limit for the minimal share of milk is decreased from 80 to 75 % so that it would be possible to add more other components (e.g. fruit juices in yoghurts).