Summary of newspapers of the previous day – 13. 1. 2010

Margin of self-sufficiency of German agriculture

German consumers are well supplied with L P D - the main food - potatoes. Domestic farmers can produce a significantly higher amount of potatoes than is inland consumption. A margin of self-sufficiency reached 146 percents in this commodity in 2008. The margin of self-sufficiency in production exceeded 100 percents also in sugar (121 %), meat (106 %) and cereals (102 %). Especially producers of pig meat have recently succeeded to gain new markets in east Europe and Asia space. There is also an interest on the world market in German cheeses (a margin in self-sufficiency in production reached 117 % in 2008), while butter production manages to cover domestic consumption only for 88 %.

Corn sharply fell

A corn price fell sharply after publishing news of USDA about a harvest during yesterday´s trading on Chicago Board of Trade. A March contract decreased by the stock-exchange allowed limit 30 cents (7,1 percents) to 3,925 dollars for bushel. USDA published an estimation of corn production in the USA which should move on a record level. In all probability it will reach 13,151 billion bushels. A foregoing estimation spoke about 12,921 bushels.

Agricultural committee supported increase of bio-component in fuels

The parliamentary agricultural committee supported a government amendment today, which increases a minimal share of bio-fuels in diesel-oil and petrol, and supported representatives to pass it in the second reading. The share in diesel-oils should increased from the present 4,5 percents to 6,3 percents and in petrol from the present 3,5 percents to 4,5 percents from April. At the beginning of last year´s December the material successfully passed the first reading in the Parliament.

Safety of smoked flavourings

The Panel on on food contact materials, enzymes, flavourings and processing aids of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA - CEF) has finished a first evaluation of safety (unobjectionability) of 11 smoked flavourings used in the food production in the EU. On base of the result, to which EFSA came, the European Commission will elaborate a list of products - substances providing smoked flavouring which will be approved for use in foods.